


Make This Place Your Home

by battlecry7473



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: Adoption, Camila is kind a bitch in the first few chapters she appears, F/F, Foster homes, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lauren is a sweet smol baby who gets dealt shit in life, also any and all medical related stuff is probably wrong too, but she is like 5 keep that in mind too, i know it's inaccurate, i know shit about the foster care system, please do not take this work as an accurate portrayal of how it works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 13:46:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 58,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18181385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/battlecry7473/pseuds/battlecry7473
Summary: Kidfic.  Lauren lost her parents at the age of three and has been in the foster system for over a year. Normani and Dinah are registered foster parents who get a call late one night asking for an emergency placement when Lauren's current placement ends horribly.  Can they give Lauren the care and stability  she needs? Will Lauren finally find a safe place to call home?Started: March, 11, 2017. Completed: July 15, 2017**Cross-posted from Wattpad where it was originally published.**I can't be bothered to proofread so please forgive any and all mistakes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As I am just copying and pasting chapters from my google drive as it's a completed fic, please be aware there are mentions of past child abuse as you read. It's scattered throughout the fic, and since it's all being posted at once, just keep that in mind please.

As Dinah and she made their way to the pediatric floor of the hospital, Normani was incredibly grateful they’d let Ally spend the weekend at her mom’s house. It was almost three am on a Friday, and she knew that if they did have to Ally with them, it probably wouldn’t have gone over well. Nevermind the fact that whatever situation Demi needed help with sounded like something the young girl shouldn’t be around for.

It was actually Demi herself who had helped the couple through the process of adopting the young girl almost two years prior. Dinah and she had met Demi and her girlfriend at the time Selena in college, and the group had formed their own little family system in Miami away from their actual families back home. Normani and Dinah hadn’t started dating until the end of that first year, but Demi and Selena knew it was inevitable. Now, both couples were married and both had adopted daughters, Demi and Selena having gone through with adopting their daughter, Camila, a just under a year ago.

Demi hadn’t specifically asked for help when they originally took in Ally; she had just mentioned the idea of being foster parents to the couple and they had looked into it, eventually deciding to give it a try. Both of them wanted kids, but neither liked the idea of using artificial or invasive ways of having kids. So when Demi mentioned her work as a social worker and the need for foster parents, they looked into it.

A few months later, they were registered foster parents and soon enough, a then five year old Allyson Hernandez had been placed in their home. The little brunette had lost her mom to cancer about a year before, and her father had been out of the picture with no other family to take her in. At first, the young girl was shy and hesitant about anything and everything, but after a few months of getting used to her new foster moms, her bubbly personality began to show. It didn’t take long for Normani and Dinah to decide to make Ally an official part of their family, and after a couple more months, Ally was officially their daughter.

Now, Normani wondered what kind of situation could have the social worker so worried that she’d only trust Normani and Dinah to help. She assumed they were going to be taking in another child, but she wondered why Demi couldn’t say anything over the phone.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when a voice called out, “Dinah? Normani?”

The two looked to Selena, Demi’s wife and a pediatric attending at Miami General walking towards them.

“Is everything okay? Is Ally alright?” the other woman asked concernedly.

Normani nodded. “She’s okay,” she assured. “She’s at my mom’s right now.”

Selena gave them a confused looked. “What are you guys doing here then?” she questioned.

Dinah shrugged. “You’re wife called Normani asking us to come here,” she explained. “She said she’d explain once we got here. Though it better be important if we’re here at three am,” she added under her breath.

Selena’s eyes widened in realization. “Come on, I think I know why you’re here,” she said, and began leading them down the hall. 

After a few moments of walking, they came up to a room, seeing Demi standing outside. 

The social worker turned around at the sound of footsteps, seeing her wife and her friends approaching. “Thank you so much for coming,” she said gratefully to the other couple.

“You mind telling us what exactly we’re doing here?” Dinah questioned.

Demi nodded. “I need an emergency placement for one of the kids I’m handling,” she stated. “Her last couple of placements haven’t been the best-”

Selena cut her off with a scoff. “More like ended ended disastrously for her,” she muttered.

Demi sent her a warning look, and her wife put her hands up in surrender. “I really don’t want to send her to a group home, especially after what happened tonight,” she finished.

“What happened?” Normani prodded.

The older woman sighed. “The foster parents she was placed with got into an argument, and the foster dad knocked the mom out and set the house on fire before taking off,” she stated sadly.

Normani and Dinah gasped in horror. “Is the girl okay? Or the foster mom?” the blonde asked.

“As far as I know, the foster mom is in stable condition, but it’ll be a while before she fully recovers,” Demi answered. “They found the dad at a bar and arrested him, and they’re looking to arrest the mom when she’s recovered enough,” she continued.

“Why? Is the girl okay?” the dark skinned woman questioned.

“For the most part,” Selena answered. “There’s obviously going to be psychological trauma, but physically she’ll make a full recovery. The firefighters found in her time,” she explained. “But, there’s definite signs of neglect and/or abuse,” she added.

Demi nodded. “I don’t want to send her to a group home after this, and I know it’s asking a lot, especially because it’s so sudden,” she started. “But would you guys be willing to take her in?” she asked the other couple.

Normani and Dinah shared a look, having a silent conversation. They had a room ready, as they had taken in emergency placements before, and were always ready for this kind of situation, though they usually got more of a head’s up. The only concern was how long it would last. Aside from Ally, the kids they had fostered in the past only stayed a day or two until they were placed in a different house or a group home. Since Ally, it was usually kids that had just been removed from a home (their own or a different foster house) that they’d take in.

Finally, Dinah gave a resolute nod, letting Normani know her decision had been made. “I’m willing if you are,” the blonde whispered in her wife’s ear.

The dark skinned woman nodded. “Okay, let’s do this,” she murmured, before turning back to her friend. “We’ll do it,” she said, Dinah nodding in agreement.

Demi sighed in relief, hugging the two. “Thank you so much,” she said gratefully. “I need to go get the paperwork and everything started, but thank you so so so much,” she repeated, hugging them tightly once again before walking off to make phone calls.

Selena sighed, looking at the couple. “Demi really is thankful you guys can do this for her,” she said. “She’s been trying to find a home that actually works out well for this girl since taking on her case.”

“Who is the girl?” Dinah finally asked.

Her friend smiled sadly. “Lauren Jauregui. She’s such a sweet girl, but she’s had a shitty time in foster care,” she answered. “She lost both of her parents in a car accident last year, and has been in the system ever since. In the last month alone, I’ve treated her twice in the ER, not including tonight.”

Normani gasped. “How old is she?” she asked.

“Four,” the doctor replied. “Which is why Demi’s been trying so hard to find her a good home. 

No one should ever have to go through the things she has, let alone at such a young age.”

“How badly was she hurt in the fire?” the blonde asked. 

“Lauren suffered from smoke inhalation, though we’re not sure how long she was in house before she was found,” the black haired woman answered. “We’re keeping her on oxygen, and we’ll run some tests this afternoon to determine how bad the damage is.”

“You said there were signs of abuse or neglect?” Normani questioned.

Selena nodded sadly. “She’s a little small and underweight for her age, so we think she hasn’t been getting the proper nutrition she needs,” she explained. “Her left arm was slashed, and it looks like it was broken and left untreated. Her back is covered in what looks like marks left from a belt, some of them deep enough to cause gashes.”

Dinah looked horrified, tears forming in her eyes. “Who the fuck could treat anybody like that, let alone a child?” she hissed.

Her friend sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know, but Lauren isn’t going back to them, and hopefully they won’t get away with it,” she muttered. 

Normani nodded. “We can take her,” she assured. “We’ll make sure Lauren gets the care she needs.”

The black haired doctor smiled. “I know,” she replied. “And Demi is extremely grateful and probably promised she’d owe you guys a million favors.”

The couple laughed, nodding. “Yeah, and we’ll definitely make sure to use them,” the blonde promised teasingly.

Demi appeared around the corner, looking slightly stressed, but hopeful. “Okay, I’m going to need you guys to come to my office later to sign things, but once you do, Lauren can go home with you guys when she’s released,” she said happily.

“Are we allowed to see her?” Dinah asked.

The social worker looked to her wife, who shrugged. “She’ll be asleep for the night, but I don’t see why not,” the doctor replied.

Selena opened the room door, leading the three in. The younger couple had suppress gasps at the tiny girl in the bed. The doctor was right, she was so much smaller than the average four year old; Lauren looked as small as a two year old. Her dark brown hair covered her face, but what the two could see of her was covered in small scratches. Her left wrist was in a purple cast, while the upper part had a white bandage peeking out from the sleeve of the child’s hospital gown.

Normani shuddered at thought of what the gashes on the girl’s back looked like. 

“You said Lauren should make a full recovery?” Dinah asked, watching the steady rise and fall of the sleeping girl’s chest.

“There’s slight concern over her arm, but since it’s been treated properly, she shouldn’t have any problems with it,” the doctor answered. “And like I said earlier, we’re going to run some tests later to make sure there’s no lasting damage from the smoke inhalation. As long as they come back positive, she’ll make a full recovery.”

“There’s not really anything you guys can do right now until the paperwork is signed,” Demi interjected. “Why don’t you guys go home and get some more sleep, and later we’ll get everything sorted, and you can properly meet Lauren when she’s awake?” she suggested.

Dinah and Normani shared a look, then nodded.

“Yeah, we’ll need to get her room setup and everything,” the blonde agreed. “Does she have any belongings with her?” she asked.

The social worker shook her head sadly. “Not much, most of it was lost in the fire,” she explained. “I’ve kept a few things with me in my office for her, mostly personal things, but she’ll need new clothes and such.”

“Okay, then we’re going to go get some more sleep, and then we’ll get the room setup and get her some new clothes until we can take her to pick her own,” Normani said.

“Sound good,” Demi said. “Thank you guys so much,” she stated again. “You don’t know what this means.”

The blonde shook her head. “It means this child gets to stay in a place where she’s safe and cared for,” she responded. “We’ll make sure she’s taken care of,” she promised, her wife nodding in agreement.

Selena smiled, hugging them both. “I’ll have Demi let you know when you can see her,” she said. “Now go, it’s been a crazy night,” she ordered softly, ushering them out of the room.

Normani and Dinah walked down the hospital corridor hand in hand. “Are you ready for this, DJ?” the dark skinned woman asked. “It’s not going to be easy,” she said seriously.

The blonde nodded. “I know it won’t be, babe,” she replied. “But that child needs somewhere safe, and we’re going to give it to her,” she stated confidently. 


	2. Chapter 2

As Dinah and she made their way to the pediatric floor of the hospital, Normani was incredibly grateful they’d let Ally spend the weekend at her mom’s house. It was almost three am on a Friday, and she knew that if they did have to Ally with them, it probably wouldn’t have gone over well. Nevermind the fact that whatever situation Demi needed help with sounded like something the young girl shouldn’t be around for.

It was actually Demi herself who had helped the couple through the process of adopting the young girl almost two years prior. Dinah and she had met Demi and her girlfriend at the time Selena in college, and the group had formed their own little family system in Miami away from their actual families back home. Normani and Dinah hadn’t started dating until the end of that first year, but Demi and Selena knew it was inevitable. Now, both couples were married and both had adopted daughters, Demi and Selena having gone through with adopting their daughter, Camila, a just under a year ago.

Demi hadn’t specifically asked for help when they originally took in Ally; she had just mentioned the idea of being foster parents to the couple and they had looked into it, eventually deciding to give it a try. Both of them wanted kids, but neither liked the idea of using artificial or invasive ways of having kids. So when Demi mentioned her work as a social worker and the need for foster parents, they looked into it.

A few months later, they were registered foster parents and soon enough, a then five year old Allyson Hernandez had been placed in their home. The little brunette had lost her mom to cancer about a year before, and her father had been out of the picture with no other family to take her in. At first, the young girl was shy and hesitant about anything and everything, but after a few months of getting used to her new foster moms, her bubbly personality began to show. It didn’t take long for Normani and Dinah to decide to make Ally an official part of their family, and after a couple more months, Ally was officially their daughter.

Now, Normani wondered what kind of situation could have the social worker so worried that she’d only trust Normani and Dinah to help. She assumed they were going to be taking in another child, but she wondered why Demi couldn’t say anything over the phone.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when a voice called out, “Dinah? Normani?”

The two looked to Selena, Demi’s wife and a pediatric attending at Miami General walking towards them.

“Is everything okay? Is Ally alright?” the other woman asked concernedly.

Normani nodded. “She’s okay,” she assured. “She’s at my mom’s right now.”

Selena gave them a confused looked. “What are you guys doing here then?” she questioned.

Dinah shrugged. “You’re wife called Normani asking us to come here,” she explained. “She said she’d explain once we got here. Though it better be important if we’re here at three am,” she added under her breath.

Selena’s eyes widened in realization. “Come on, I think I know why you’re here,” she said, and began leading them down the hall. 

After a few moments of walking, they came up to a room, seeing Demi standing outside. 

The social worker turned around at the sound of footsteps, seeing her wife and her friends approaching. “Thank you so much for coming,” she said gratefully to the other couple.

“You mind telling us what exactly we’re doing here?” Dinah questioned.

Demi nodded. “I need an emergency placement for one of the kids I’m handling,” she stated. “Her last couple of placements haven’t been the best-”

Selena cut her off with a scoff. “More like ended ended disastrously for her,” she muttered.

Demi sent her a warning look, and her wife put her hands up in surrender. “I really don’t want to send her to a group home, especially after what happened tonight,” she finished.

“What happened?” Normani prodded.

The older woman sighed. “The foster parents she was placed with got into an argument, and the foster dad knocked the mom out and set the house on fire before taking off,” she stated sadly.

Normani and Dinah gasped in horror. “Is the girl okay? Or the foster mom?” the blonde asked.

“As far as I know, the foster mom is in stable condition, but it’ll be a while before she fully recovers,” Demi answered. “They found the dad at a bar and arrested him, and they’re looking to arrest the mom when she’s recovered enough,” she continued.

“Why? Is the girl okay?” the dark skinned woman questioned.

“For the most part,” Selena answered. “There’s obviously going to be psychological trauma, but physically she’ll make a full recovery. The firefighters found in her time,” she explained. “But, there’s definite signs of neglect and/or abuse,” she added.

Demi nodded. “I don’t want to send her to a group home after this, and I know it’s asking a lot, especially because it’s so sudden,” she started. “But would you guys be willing to take her in?” she asked the other couple.

Normani and Dinah shared a look, having a silent conversation. They had a room ready, as they had taken in emergency placements before, and were always ready for this kind of situation, though they usually got more of a head’s up. The only concern was how long it would last. Aside from Ally, the kids they had fostered in the past only stayed a day or two until they were placed in a different house or a group home. Since Ally, it was usually kids that had just been removed from a home (their own or a different foster house) that they’d take in.

Finally, Dinah gave a resolute nod, letting Normani know her decision had been made. “I’m willing if you are,” the blonde whispered in her wife’s ear.

The dark skinned woman nodded. “Okay, let’s do this,” she murmured, before turning back to her friend. “We’ll do it,” she said, Dinah nodding in agreement.

Demi sighed in relief, hugging the two. “Thank you so much,” she said gratefully. “I need to go get the paperwork and everything started, but thank you so so so much,” she repeated, hugging them tightly once again before walking off to make phone calls.

Selena sighed, looking at the couple. “Demi really is thankful you guys can do this for her,” she said. “She’s been trying to find a home that actually works out well for this girl since taking on her case.”

“Who is the girl?” Dinah finally asked.

Her friend smiled sadly. “Lauren Jauregui. She’s such a sweet girl, but she’s had a shitty time in foster care,” she answered. “She lost both of her parents in a car accident last year, and has been in the system ever since. In the last month alone, I’ve treated her twice in the ER, not including tonight.”

Normani gasped. “How old is she?” she asked.

“Four,” the doctor replied. “Which is why Demi’s been trying so hard to find her a good home. 

No one should ever have to go through the things she has, let alone at such a young age.”

“How badly was she hurt in the fire?” the blonde asked. 

“Lauren suffered from smoke inhalation, though we’re not sure how long she was in house before she was found,” the black haired woman answered. “We’re keeping her on oxygen, and we’ll run some tests this afternoon to determine how bad the damage is.”

“You said there were signs of abuse or neglect?” Normani questioned.

Selena nodded sadly. “She’s a little small and underweight for her age, so we think she hasn’t been getting the proper nutrition she needs,” she explained. “Her left arm was slashed, and it looks like it was broken and left untreated. Her back is covered in what looks like marks left from a belt, some of them deep enough to cause gashes.”

Dinah looked horrified, tears forming in her eyes. “Who the fuck could treat anybody like that, let alone a child?” she hissed.

Her friend sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know, but Lauren isn’t going back to them, and hopefully they won’t get away with it,” she muttered. 

Normani nodded. “We can take her,” she assured. “We’ll make sure Lauren gets the care she needs.”

The black haired doctor smiled. “I know,” she replied. “And Demi is extremely grateful and probably promised she’d owe you guys a million favors.”

The couple laughed, nodding. “Yeah, and we’ll definitely make sure to use them,” the blonde promised teasingly.

Demi appeared around the corner, looking slightly stressed, but hopeful. “Okay, I’m going to need you guys to come to my office later to sign things, but once you do, Lauren can go home with you guys when she’s released,” she said happily.

“Are we allowed to see her?” Dinah asked.

The social worker looked to her wife, who shrugged. “She’ll be asleep for the night, but I don’t see why not,” the doctor replied.

Selena opened the room door, leading the three in. The younger couple had suppress gasps at the tiny girl in the bed. The doctor was right, she was so much smaller than the average four year old; Lauren looked as small as a two year old. Her dark brown hair covered her face, but what the two could see of her was covered in small scratches. Her left wrist was in a purple cast, while the upper part had a white bandage peeking out from the sleeve of the child’s hospital gown.

Normani shuddered at thought of what the gashes on the girl’s back looked like. 

“You said Lauren should make a full recovery?” Dinah asked, watching the steady rise and fall of the sleeping girl’s chest.

“There’s slight concern over her arm, but since it’s been treated properly, she shouldn’t have any problems with it,” the doctor answered. “And like I said earlier, we’re going to run some tests later to make sure there’s no lasting damage from the smoke inhalation. As long as they come back positive, she’ll make a full recovery.”

“There’s not really anything you guys can do right now until the paperwork is signed,” Demi interjected. “Why don’t you guys go home and get some more sleep, and later we’ll get everything sorted, and you can properly meet Lauren when she’s awake?” she suggested.

Dinah and Normani shared a look, then nodded.

“Yeah, we’ll need to get her room setup and everything,” the blonde agreed. “Does she have any belongings with her?” she asked.

The social worker shook her head sadly. “Not much, most of it was lost in the fire,” she explained. “I’ve kept a few things with me in my office for her, mostly personal things, but she’ll need new clothes and such.”

“Okay, then we’re going to go get some more sleep, and then we’ll get the room setup and get her some new clothes until we can take her to pick her own,” Normani said.

“Sound good,” Demi said. “Thank you guys so much,” she stated again. “You don’t know what this means.”

The blonde shook her head. “It means this child gets to stay in a place where she’s safe and cared for,” she responded. “We’ll make sure she’s taken care of,” she promised, her wife nodding in agreement.

Selena smiled, hugging them both. “I’ll have Demi let you know when you can see her,” she said. “Now go, it’s been a crazy night,” she ordered softly, ushering them out of the room.

Normani and Dinah walked down the hospital corridor hand in hand. “Are you ready for this, DJ?” the dark skinned woman asked. “It’s not going to be easy,” she said seriously.

The blonde nodded. “I know it won’t be, babe,” she replied. “But that child needs somewhere safe, and we’re going to give it to her,” she stated confidently. 


	3. Chapter 3

If she was being honest, Dinah wasn’t one hundred percent sure about taking in another child when Demi had first called Normani. But when they had gotten to the hospital and Demi had told them about Lauren, Dinah knew there was no way she backing out. She didn’t even know the girl but she knew she wasn’t going to let any more harm come to the tiny human in the hospital. Nope, no way, not if she had anything to say about it.

The only concern she had was Ally’s reaction to someone new coming to stay for an indefinite amount of time. The girl was always nice around the kids who were placed in their house for a day or two, but that’s what Dinah’s worried about. She didn’t know how long Lauren would be with them, and she was worried Ally might not be as welcoming to the girl. She figured she’d cross that bridge when they got there. 

Right now, though, she’s at Target getting some clothes and new bedding for Lauren’s arrival. They had a room set up, but they didn’t normally get kids as young as Lauren, so they had to set up the guest room for her. It wasn’t a problem, but Dinah didn’t know much about Lauren, so she wasn’t sure which bedding set to get. She thought the  _ Lion King _ bed set they had was cute so she went with that. As for the clothes, she figured plain shirts and shorts would work until they figured out what Lauren liked, though she did grab a few shirts with various movie characters or animals on it (she was thankful Demi had given her Lauren’s clothing size so she could at least get that part right).

Normani was currently at the house getting the room setup. They had made a run to get bedroom furniture before, and paid extra to get it delivered that morning. Dinah was really glad they ran their own company, so they could afford to buy all of this stuff and also take as much time off as needed to help Lauren settle in. They usually took turns going into the office each week so they didn’t have to get a nanny or sitter for Ally, but helping Lauren get comfortable would probably require both of them.

Finally, though, Dinah was making her way to the front of the store to pay for everything. As she passed the toys section, she stopped and made her way down one of the aisles. Demi mentioned Lauren didn’t have many personal possessions since most of them were destroyed in the fire (honestly Dinah is really glad she hasn’t seen the girl’s former foster parents because she’d probably fuck them up for treating Lauren like they did). Dinah surveyed the many stuffed animals lining the shelves, wondering what the girl would like. Her eyes landed on a Nala stuffed lion, and the blonde figured since she was getting  _ Lion King _ bed sheets, why not get the toy? Maybe the plushie would bring Lauren some form of comfort while adjusting to her living situation.

Fifteen minutes later and Dinah had just gotten into her car after putting everything in the back when her phone rang, Normani’s name popping up on the bluetooth screen. “Hey, baby. Everything going okay?” the blonde asked as she started driving.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” her wife answered. “I’ve got the furniture in place. All we need to do is get the bed set on and we’ll be good to go. You didn’t forget that, did you?” she asked teasingly.

Dinah scoffed. “I am offended you would think that,” she retorted. “Honestly, how dare you?” she asked playfully.

“Whatever, I know you wouldn’t forget,” Normani replied. “Once you get home and we get everything put away, Demi said we can go back to the hospital. Lauren should be awake by the time we get there and we’ll get to meet her,” she explained.

The blonde smiled. “I can’t wait,” she said excitedly. “I’m just a little nervous about how Ally’s going to react,” she admitted hesitantly. 

A sigh came from the other end of the line. “I know, baby,” Normani said.

“I just don’t want her to think we’re replacing her since this is happening while she’s with your mom.”

“I know, I get it. We’ll explain it to her when she comes home Sunday night.”

“Why don’t one of us pick her up and talk to her on the way home?” the younger woman suggested. “That way she knows before she comes home.”

“That could work. We’ll figure it out before,” her wife stated. “I’m going to make sure clean up a bit before we leave,” she added.

“Alright, I’m almost home, so I’ll see you soon,” Dinah replied.

“Drive safe. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mani,” the blonde echoed as she ended the call. 

The rest of the drive back, Dinah thought about the tiny girl in the hospital bed. She hoped they could provide the safety and comfort the girl desperately needed.

\----------

Lauren was a little terrified as she woke up. She wasn’t in her room at the Brady’s, and there was a weird thing on her face and wires all over, and a beeping noise that she didn’t know where it was coming from. Plus, she was alone, and that really scared her. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but tried to hold them back because she didn’t want to seem weak in fear she’d get hurt again. She tried to move her left arm since there was something in her right arm, but it felt heavier than usual and it hurt to move it. She looked down to see there was a purple cast around her wrist, and she figured that’s where the weight was coming from. Lauren whimpered, afraid of not knowing what was going on. All she remembered was that her foster parents had been arguing, and her arm had been bleeding. Then it got really hot and harder to breathe before she went to sleep. 

Suddenly, everything became too much and she let the tears flow freely. She tried to remove the thing that was on her face, but a hand suddenly appeared and stopped her. The dark haired girl flinched at the sudden contact, afraid this new person would hit her.

“Lauren, sweetie, can you look at me?” a voice asked softly. 

A voice Lauren recognized as Demi. The tiny girl opened her eyes to see the older woman looking at her with someone who looked vaguely familiar but she couldn’t place, but whose hand was gently holding her own.

“Lauren, can you take a few deep breaths for me?” the stranger asked softly. “I need you to calm down, sweetheart. Just breathe slowly, like this,” she said, taking in a long, slow breath to show Lauren what to do.

The girl did as instructed, and after a few moments, she had calmed down considerably.

“Good job, Lauren,” the woman praised. 

“Lauren,” Demi said, coming up to the side of the bed. “Do you remember my wife Dr. Gomez?” she questioned. “She helped you when you were here a few weeks ago,” she explained. “Remember?”

Lauren looked at the doctor for a few seconds, and the older woman smiled at her. Finally she nodded. The doctor had been nice to her when she had to get stitches in her leg from a glass being thrown at her (though that part had been left out) and then again when they were taken a week or so later. And she remembered the picture of the two in Demi’s office.

“Hi, Lauren,” the woman said, still smiling. “I’m Dr. Gomez-Lovato. But you can call me Selena if you want. How about we get this thing off of you, hmm?” she asked, moving to take the oxygen mask off.

Lauren was thankful when it was gone, she didn’t like it very much. 

“Can you sit up for me, sweetie?” Selena asked. She helped the girl into a sitting position before putting on her stethoscope. “Okay, I’m going to put this over your heart, okay?” she asked, placing it on her own chest and waiting for the girl to nod.

Lauren nodded, a little apprehensively, but also slightly curious.

The doctor placed the end over the girl’s heart. “Can you take a really deep breath for me? Just like before?” she asked again.

Lauren did as told, holding it as the doctor had told her to as she breathed in. She did that a few more times as Selena told her to, and then it was over.

“What you do?” the girl asked, before she grimaced. Her throat really hurt.

Demi handed her a small cup of water, helping her take slow sips from the straw. 

Selena smiled. “I was making sure your heart and lungs were working like they should,” she explained. “Do you remember what happened last night, sweetie?” she asked gently, writing notes down in the chart in her hands.

Lauren shrugged. “There was shouting. And then it stopped,” she answered. “Scared to look, ‘cause I no wanted get hit,” she added quietly.

“Lauren, did he hit you before?” Demi asked. “Is that where those cuts and bruises on your back came from?”

The young girl whimpered, not looking up. “Can’t tell,” she whispered. “No hurt,” she said pleadingly.

“Hey, no one’s going to hurt you anymore,” the social worker promised. “Mr. Brady can’t hurt you anymore, Lauren.”

“Pwomise?” the girl asked, tearful green eyes looking up to brown.

“I promise,” Demi stated assuredly. “Do you remember anything else?” she asked slowly.

“Mrs. Brady threw a glass,” the tiny girl replied. “Arm hurted after.”

Demi sighed, sitting on the edge the bed, taking one small hand in hers. “You’re not going back there, Lauren. I promise,” she said.

Selena’s phone buzzed, and she pulled it from her lab coat pocket, looking over the screen. “Dinah and Normani are here,” she said. She jotted a few more things down, before removing all the wires that were attached to Lauren. “Okay, Demi and I are going to talk some people really quick, but we’ll be right outside the door, okay?” she asked.

Lauren nodded nervously. She didn’t want to be alone, but if they were going to be right outside, she thought she’d be alright. “Kay,” she said, nodding.

Demi smiled. “Just yell if you need us, we’ll leave the door open,” she said, walking out of the room.

Lauren sat quietly, letting out shaky breaths. She  _ really _ didn’t like being alone, because that was usually when Mr. Brady would hit her. But he wasn’t there, so she tried reassuring herself nothing would happen. She could just hear Demi and Selena talking outside, and it sounded like there were two other voices speaking with them.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, and Lauren screamed, diving off the bed and hiding under it. What if Mr. Brady had found her? What if he was angry and wanted to hurt her for not being at the house? She curled up into a ball, trying to make herself as small as possible, trying to hold back a sob. 

There were loud footsteps as two people entered the room, and she heard Demi call, “Lauren?”

The young girl knew she should answer, but she was too panicked to make a sound. 

“Lauren, sweetie, no one’s going to hurt you,” Selena said. “There;s nothing to be afraid of,” she assured. “One of the nurses just knocked over a cart, that’s all that happened,” she explained.

Lauren looked up, seeing two sets of legs in front of the bed. She remained motionless, still afraid to move. Suddenly, Demi’s face appeared as she bent to look under the bed.

“Lauren, no one’s going to hurt you,” she promised softly. “There’s two people who want to meet you. They’re really nice, and they’re really excited to meet you,” she said.

The girl relaxed slightly and let out a shaky breath, tears falling down her cheeks. “Not scary?” she whispered.

“Not scary,” Demi assured.

Lauren slowly crawled out from under the bed, but clung tightly to Demi’s leg when she noticed the two strangers in the room.

“Lauren, this is Normani and Dinah,” Demi said softly, looking down at the small girl. “They’re the ones who want to meet you.”


	4. Chapter 4

Dinah and Normani saw Demi and Selena standing outside of Lauren’s room when they got there.

“How is Lauren doing?” the dark skinned woman asked.

“Well, she’s awake and responsive, which is good,” the doctor answered. “And her heart and lung sounds are clear, which is great. We’re going to keep her overnight again just in case, but if everything remains the same, she can be released tomorrow afternoon.”

“Does she remember what happened?” Dinah questioned.

Demi shook her head. “No, just that the foster parents were shouting and then stopped suddenly,” she answered. “And that the mom had thrown a glass at her,” she added sourly.

“But she doesn’t remember the fire?” Normani asked, deciding not to ask about that last part.

“No, and we haven’t told her about it, just that she’s not going back to that house,” Selena answered.

Before they could say anything else, a nurse knocked over a cart, sending the thing crashing to the floor with a loud bang. A scream came from inside Lauren’s room and Demi and Selena rushed in, the younger couple hanging back by the door. The bed was empty, the girl nowhere in sight.

“Lauren?” Demi called out softly.

A whimper came from near the bed, and the social walked over to it, her wife standing next to her.

“Lauren, sweetie, no one’s going to hurt you,” the doctor said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. One of the nurses just knocked over a cart, that’s all that happened.”

Demi crouched to look under the bed, and Dinah figured Lauren must have been under there, because the older woman didn’t stand back up. “Lauren, no one’s going to hurt you,” the social work said softly. “There’s two people who want to meet you. They’re really nice, and they’re really excited to meet you,” she continued.

“Not scary?” the blonde heard a tiny voice whisper, and her heart broke at the fear in the girl’s tone.

“Not scary,” Demi assured.

A couple seconds passed before Demi stood up, the tiny girl crawling out from underneath the bed. When she noticed Dinah and Normani, she clung tightly to Demi’s leg, looking up at the two apprehensively.

Dinah heard Normani gasp quietly, and she couldn’t really blame her wife. Now that they could see her face completely, the blonde could see Lauren’s stunningly bright green eyes looking at them in fear, though there was a hint of curiosity, too.

Dinah knelt to be on Lauren’s level, hoping to make herself appear less threatening if she did so. “Hi, there,” she greeted softly, sending the girl a reassuring smile. “I’m Dinah. What’s your name, sweetie?” 

The dark haired girl looked up to Demi, who nodded encouragingly. She looked back to the couple. “Lauren,” she whispered hesitantly. 

“That’s a very pretty name, Lauren,” Dinah complimented. “This is my wife, Normani,” she said, grabbing the older woman;s hand.

Normani smiled, kneeling like her wife. “Hi, Lauren,” she greeted. “Dinah’s right, that is a very pretty name.”

“T’ank you,” the girl replied, blushing. “You both pretty,” she added quietly.

The couple smiled, watching as the girl slowly stepped out from behind Demi. 

“Lauren, Dinah and Normani are friends of mine and Selena’s,” the social worker explained. “And, they were wondering if you wanted to go stay with them for a while.”

Lauren looked up confusedly. “No back to other house?” she asked.

The social worker shook her head. “No, you’re not going back with the Brady’s,” she said. “They hurt you, remember? And the police and I know, so you’re not going back,” she stated.

“No more hurt?” the girl asked in a whisper.

Dinah’s heart shattered at the question, and she noticed her wife looked on the verge of tears. 

“Lauren, sweetie,” the blonde interjected. “You can come home with us if you want,” she said. “We have a room set up, and all kinds of toys, and I’m sure our daughter Ally would love to meet you.”

“And no one is going to hurt you,” Normani assured. “But, it’s up to you, sweetheart. We would love for you to come home with us,” she stated, sending the girl a smile.

Lauren looked at the couple, and they were both smiling at her, and it reassured her. She looked up to Demi, whispering a shy, “I stay with them?”

The older woman smiled, nodding. “Of course you can, sweetie,” she promised. She looked to the couple. “I have the paperwork with me, if you want to get that out of they way?” 

Dinah nodded. “That’s fine,” she agreed. “I need to run out to the car for a second, I’ll be right back,” she said, exiting the room.

Selena gently picked Lauren up, setting her back on the bed. “Alright, missy, why don’t you take a nap?” she suggested.

The tiny girl turned to Normani. “No go?” she asked shyly.

Normani smiled. “You want me to stay?” she questioned. Earning a tiny nod. ‘I’ll be right here,” she promised, sitting down in the chair next to the bed. “And Dinah will be back shortly,” she added.

Lauren nodded, appeased that her new friend wouldn’t be leaving. She yawned as she was settled back into the bed, and drifted off completely soon after.

\---------

About an hour later, Normani and Dinah were discussing some last minute grocery shopping and contentedly watching Lauren when the girl began to wake up. She looked around confusedly, before her eyes settled on the two and she sent them a shy smile. “You stayeded,” she said quietly.

“Of course we stayed,” Dinah replied, returning the girl’s smile. “And, we got you a present,” she added, producing a small gift bag and placing it on the bed.

“Mine?” Lauren asked hesitantly. No one ever gave her presents. Well, the first family she stayed with day, but she couldn’t remember exactly what it was because she lost it when she left that family.

Normani nodded encouragingly. “It’s yours, sweetie. Go ahead and open it,” she said.

Lauren reached inside the bag, feeling something soft. Pulling it out the bag, she gasped when she saw it was a stuffed Nala. “It’s Nala!” she exclaimed happily. She’d seen the movie only once, but she really liked it.

Dinah grinned. “You like it?” she asked, earning an excited nod. “How about we watch it later tonight? I can run home and get my laptop and the DVD,” she suggested.

“Please?” Lauren asked.

Normani smiled. “We’ll watch it tonight, once Dinah gets back with her computer,” she promised.

The blonde nodded. “I have to go for a little bit though,” she said gently. “I’ve got to get a few more things for when you come home with us tomorrow. But I’ll be back, and then we can watch  _ The Lion King _ .”

“Pwomise?” the green eyed girl asked.

“I promise I will be back,” Dinah stated. “Normani’s going to stay here though.”

Lauren smiled shyly, nodding. “Kay.”

About an hour and a half later, Dinah returned with her laptop and the DVD in hand. “You ready to watch the movie, Lauren?” she asked as she walked into the room.

The tiny girl nodded excitedly. ‘Yes!” she replied.

Normani chuckled. “She’s been looking forward to it since you left,” she said. “She asked about three times when you’d be back so she could watch it.”

Dinah smiled. “Well, I”m back now, so let’s get it set up for you,” she stated. She set the laptop on the table, putting the DVD in. When the movie had started and Lauren was no longer paying attention to them, she turned to her wife. “So I called your mom and told her what was happening,” she started.

“I was going to do that, I swear,” Normani replied.

The younger woman laughed. ‘I know, I just figured since I was out I would do it,” she explained. “I told her that we were taking in another child, but not the details of what happened. I know we were supposed to pick Ally up on Sunday night, but I asked if she could stay over until Monday if you were okay with it, just to give Lauren a bit of time to settle in.”

Her wife nodded. “And what did she say?” 

“It was fine, we can pick her up Monday afternoon,” Dinah answered. “And I talked to Ally for a bit. She’s excited to stay an extra night, but she wants you to know she loves you lots and misses you.”

The dark skinned woman smiled. “She’s too cute,” she murmured. “I just hope she reacts well to Lauren staying with us.”

“I think she will,” Dinah replied. “I know I was worried earlier today, but I think Ally is going to be the best big sister,” she said with a smile. “I mean, remember how welcoming she was to Camila when Dem and Sel first brought her home?”

Normani nodded, smiling at the memory. Her wife was right. Ally had toned down her normally exuberant personality and been gentle with Camila when the girl had come over to their house for the first time. Their daughter had taken the younger girl under her wing, and soon enough, the two were causing all kinds of mischief at either girls’ home, the most recent incident having involved raiding a container of cookies that had been meant for Ally’s last day of second grade (those two on a sugar rush was something both couples never wanted to experience again).

The older woman nodded, breaking out of her thoughts. “You’re right, there’s nothing to worry about,” she stated.

The blonde smirked. “Of course I am. I’m always right,” she bragged.

Normani rolled her eyes. “Sure you are,” she replied sarcastically. She turned to face Lauren, seeing the girl still entranced by the movie. “Do you like the movie, Lauren?” she asked.

The green eyed girl looked up and nodded, grinning widely. “T’ank you,” she said quietly.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Dinah said. “You know, we have a lot more movies at the house,” she said.

Lauren looked at her curiously. “‘Ow many?” she asked.

“So many that I can’t even count them all,” the blonde replied, laughing at the shocked look that took over the girl’s face. “We can watch some when you come home with us tomorrow if you want,” she added.

Lauren nodded excitedly. These two women were so much nicer in the few hours she’d known them than the Brady’s had been in  _ months _ . She was really excited about going to stay with them, but she was a little apprehensive about meeting Ally. Would she be upset that someone new would be staying with them? She didn’t want to make the girl mad; she hadn’t even met her yet! She nervously fiddled with Nala’s ear, trying to focus back on the movie. 

“Lauren, are you okay?” Normani questioned softly, noticing the anxious look on the girl’s face.

The tiny girl looked up for a moment, before looking away and nodding.

“Are you sure?” Dinah prodded. “You know you can ask or tell us anything, right?”

Lauren thought for a moment, then looked back at the two. “Ally is nice?” she questioned nervously, not wanting to offend either of the women.

The two shared a look of understanding, then Normani smiled and replied, “She’s very nice.”

“And I’m sure she’ll be as excited to meet you as we were,” Dinah added, sending a gentle smile the girl’s way. “And so will Camila, Ally’s best friend and Demi and Selena’s daughter.”

“You know, if you wanted, Lauren, we can bring Ally home early so you can meet her and not have to wait,” Normani said carefully, looking to her wife.

The blonde thought for a moment, before shrugging. “Yeah, she’s with Mani’s mom for the weekend, but if you want to meet her sooner I’m sure she wouldn’t mind coming home early,” she agreed. “But only if you want to,” she added. “Or we can wait until Monday like we had planned.”

Lauren contemplated the offer for a few moments. She was still nervous, but decided Normani and Dinah were telling the truth, because she didn’t think they would lie to her. Finally she nodded. “Meet Ally, please,” she said shyly.

“You want to meet Ally tomorrow?” Dinah clarified, earning a small nod. “Okay, I think we can do that,” she said.

Normani nodded. “It might be easier to do it this way anyways,” she murmured to her wife. “I’m going to call my mom and tell her plans have changed,” she said standing up. “Hopefully Ally isn’t too disappointed.”

Dinah chuckled, knowing full well their daughter would be slightly disappointed in having to come home. However, hopefully finding out she would be a big sister soon would replace that disappointment with excitement.

“I think you’ll like Ally,” the blonde said, facing Lauren. “She’s really nice, and she’s got all kinds of toys she’ll want to share with you.”

Lauren perked up at that, earning another laugh from the older woman.

“Trust me, sweetie, Ally’s going to love you,” Dinah promised.

\--------

The next afternoon came, and Lauren was being discharged as promised, having passed all tests to the satisfaction of Selena and her other doctors. She sat on her bed while Normani and Dinah talked with the doctor and Demi, anxiously fiddling with Nala in her lap.

“Lauren?” The girl looked up at Selena’s call. “Are you excited to go with Normani and Dinah?” she asked gently.

Lauren looked between the couple, smiling shyly. “Yes,” she answered.

Dinah returned her smile. “We’re excited, too,” she said. “However, I think you need a change of clothes, don’t you think?” she asked, motioning to the hospital pajamas the girl was wearing.

Lauren wasn’t really sure, but nodded in agreement.

The blonde picked a small backpack up from the floor and set it on the bed. “Well, lucky for you I think we’ve got something in here,” she said. She took a pair of jean shorts and a tshirt with puppies and held them out for Lauren to see. 

“Is this okay, sweetie?” Dinah asked.

The girl nodded. “T’ank you,” she said.

The blonde helped the tiny girl into the new clothes and Normani finished signing the forms Selena had.

“You guys ready to go?” the dark skinned woman questioned.

“I think we are,” Dinah replied as she assisted Lauren in putting on a pair of shoes. “Ready to go, Lauren?”

Lauren looked up at the two, smiling down at her, and noticed Selena and Demi grinning at her, too. She smiled back at the younger couple, nodding excitedly. “Yes,” she stated confidently.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Normani pulled into the driveway, and turned around to see Lauren staring in awe at their house. It had to be three times the size of the Brady’s house. Lauren couldn’t believe they lived here. When the two women had told her she was going home with them, she wasn’t expecting such a large house. At 3500 sq.ft on an even bigger lot, it was probably the largest house Lauren had even seen in her life. The bottom half looked to be made of stone, while the top house was wood, painted a dark red color. It was a really pretty house, and Lauren couldn’t believe she was going to be staying here.

“You live here?” the girl asked in disbelief.

Dinah chuckled at the girl’s reaction, turning to smile at her. “Sure do,” she confirmed. “And now, you do, too,” she said.

Normani nodded in agreement, smiling at the girl. “Want to see the inside?” she asked.

Lauren nodded her head excitedly, causing the two adults to laugh even more.

Dinah got out of the car, opening the back door and letting Lauren out of her car seat. Setting the tiny girl on the ground, she held her hand out. “Ready?” 

Lauren looked at the offered hand, slightly intimidated. Dinah was so much taller than her, she had to look up to see the blonde’s face. Not to mention she hadn’t known either of the women for very long. Her previous confident attitude seemed to crumble. “No hurt?” she whispered.

Normani came around from the other side of the car and kneeled in front of the small child. “Lauren, no one is going to hurt you here,” she stated softly. “You are safe here.”

The green eyed girl looked down at the ground, sniffling. She wanted to believe them  _ so badly _ , but the Brady’s had said they wouldn’t hurt her, and look how  _ that _ turned out.

Dinah knelt down, gently lifting Lauren’s chin to look at her. She sighed sadly when the girl flinched. “We are not going to hurt you,” she reiterated soothingly. “We’re here to protect you, Lauren. And we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure you’re safe and cared for. It’s okay if you don’t believe us right now,” she said. “We’ll show you that we really mean it.”

Lauren sniffled, nodding her head. “Okay,” she whispered.

Normani smiled sadly. “You ready to go see the house?” she asked.

The dark haired girl took a shaky breath, calming herself down. “Yes,” she answered. She hesitantly reached for each of the women’s hands, unsure if she was still allowed to do so.

The couple smiled, each grabbing onto a tiny hand. Slowly, they made their way up the walkway, making it to the door. Dinah unlocked the house, opening the door and letting Lauren step in first.

Lauren looked around in amazement  of the front room. There was a wall that separated the front door from the rest of the house, but once inside the living room, there was an entertainment center with a large flat screen tv, DVD player, and what looked like multiple game consoles. In front of that, there was a large black coffee table surrounded by two big black couches and a recliner. There was a table on the back wall that was covered in pictures frames, and Lauren guessed they were pictures of the small family. 

“Is pretty,” the girl whispered, still admiring the room.

Dinah grinned. “Just wait until you see your room, sweetie,” she said.

Normani chuckled, then looked to the clock on the wall. “Who’s going to pick Ally up?” she asked her wife quietly, watching as Lauren walked around the room.

Dinah shrugged. “Would it be easier if we were both there to explain what’s happening?” she questioned. 

The older woman sighed. “It might be,” she said. “But I don’t want to overwhelm Lauren, either,” she reasoned.

The blonde nodded. “I can stay here with Lauren,” she said. “At least if she’s here and does get overwhelmed, we can take her to her room to calm down,” she added.

Normani nodded. “Okay, that’s probably best,” she agreed. “I know Ally was really gentle with Camila when she first came over, but this is a little bit of a different situation.” 

Lauren approached the two cautiously. “Meet Ally?” she asked.

The dark skinned woman smiled, kneeling down. “Yep, you’ll get to meet her soon,” she promised. “She’s with my mom right now, so I’m going to go pick her up and you can stay here with Dinah,” she explained. “Is that okay with you, Lauren?”

Lauren was a little taken back that she had asked. “You stay?” she questioned, looking up at the blonde.

“I’ll stay,” Dinah assured. “We can even put on a movie while we wait, if you want,” she suggested.

The tiny girl nodded. “Okay,” she responded.

“Alright, I’ll be back soon,” Normani said, sending the girl a warm smile. She stood, leaning in to kiss Dinah’s cheek. “Love you,” she said quietly.

‘Love you, too,” the blonde replied. “Be safe.”

“Always,” Normani said, then walked out the door.

Dinah faced Lauren, smiling at her. “Come on, you can pick a movie,” she said, beckoning the girl to follow her over to the entertainment center. 

Once Lauren had chosen to watch  _ Tangled _ and the older woman had set it up, she led the girl over to one of the couches. “Do you want anything to drink, sweetheart?” she asked softly. “We have milk, apple juice, or water,” she added.

“‘Uice, please,” Lauren answered shyly.

“Coming right up,” Dinah said. “I’ll be right in there-” she pointed towards the entryway that led to the kitchen “-if you need me, okay? I’m not going anywhere,” she said at Lauren’s anxious look.

The girl visibly relaxed at the assurance. “Okay.”

Dinah walked into the kitchen, grabbing a sippy cup from one of the cupboards. She filled it with the requested juice, but didn’t immediately go back to the living room. She took a moment to herself to think, mentally preparing herself for what would happen once Ally got home. She really hoped her daughter would be as welcoming to Lauren as she was to Camila. The blonde knew it was slightly different since Lauren would actually be staying with them, but she really wanted Ally to be open to the tiny girl in the living room. Lauren needed a home that was safe and comfortable, and Dinah knew they could provide that for her, which is why Demi asked them in the first place.

Dinah’s heart broke thinking of the hell Lauren must have put through to flinch at even the slightest contact. If she ever met the girl’s previous foster parents, Dinah didn’t think she could keep herself from attacking them. How could they treat that small child like they did? She knew it was going to take Lauren some time to adjust to everything, but the blonde hoped the girl would come to see she really was safe with them.

She shook herself out of her thoughts, grabbing the cup and walking back into the living. She cautiously sat next to Lauren on the couch, within arms reach but not close enough to be touching her. 

“Here you go, sweetie,” she said, handing the girl the sippy cup. 

“T’ank you,” Lauren replied, taking a small drink. She settled back against the couch, focusing back on the movie.

Dinah smiled, turning to watch the tv. They were only a few minutes in when she felt a tiny hand grab her own. She looked to see Lauren fighting to keep her eyes open and remain sitting up. The blonde carefully grabbed the sippy cup, setting it on the coffee table, then moved a bit closer to the girl. 

“You can sleep, sweetheart,” she whispered soothingly, shifting the girl so she was stretched out across the couch. “I’ll wake you up when Normani and Ally get home,” she promised.

THat was all it took for Lauren to succumb to her exhaustion, and soon she was fast asleep, still clutching Dinah’s hand in her own.

\------------

“Hi, mom,” Normani greeted as she walked into the house, hugging her mother.

“Hello, Normani,” Andrea greeted. “Ally’s in her room getting her bag,” she said.

The younger woman nodded. “Okay, good,” she replied. She ran a hand through her hair, releasing a sigh. “I hope she doesn’t react badly to the news,” she mumbled.

“I’m sure she won’t,” her mother replied. “I know she’s a little upset about having to go home early, but I bet she’ll forget about staying here when she finds out why,” she said with a chuckle.

Normani laughed. “I hope so,” she said. “Especially because I think I want to make it permanent,” she murmured.

“Really?” Andrea asked in surprise.

The younger woman nodded. “I need to talk to Dinah about it, but I think she feels the same way,” she replied. “I know it’s only been a day since we met her, but mom, I’m serious about this,” she stated. “Lauren needs a home that’s safe and comfortable, and we can be that for her.”

Her mother nodded. “Talk to your wife, and do what you guys think is best,” she advised.

They were interrupted by an outburst of “Mommy!” and a small body knocking into Normani.

She looked down to see her daughter’s smiling face looking up at her. “Hi, baby,” she greeted, picking Ally up and kissing her cheek. “Did you have a fun night with nana?” she asked.

Ally nodded enthusiastically. “Why do I have to come home?” she asked. “And where’s mama?”

“Mama’s waiting for us at home,” Normani answered. “But I need to talk to you about something before we go, okay?” she asked, setting the girl back on the ground and kneeling in front of her.

“What, mommy?” 

“You know how sometimes kids come to stay at our house for a day or so?” Normani started.

“Yeah, auntie Demi has to find them a good home,” the seven year old replied.

“Right, well, auntie Demi asked us to let a girl stay with us,” she explained. “Her name’s Lauren, and she needs a good home to stay at, and auntie Demi asked mama and I for help. We don’t know how long Lauren will be with us, but hopefully it will be for a while. Is that okay, Ally?” she asked carefully.

The young girl frowned. “Lauren needs a home?” she questioned.

“Yeah, Lauren’s old home wasn’t very good,” her mom answered. “Mama and I want to keep her safe, just like we want to keep you safe.”

Ally thought for a few moments, before quietly asking, “Is she going to stay forever?”

Normani sighed. “I don’t know, baby,” she replied. “Mama and I need to talk about that. But are you okay with Lauren staying with us?” she repeated.

“I get a sister?” her daughter asked.

The older woman smiled. “Yeah, and she’s at home with mama right now,” she replied.

Ally gasped, staring at her mom in shock. “Really?”

“Mhmm, that’s why we wanted you to come home early.”

“I get a sister!” the girl exclaimed excitedly. “Nana did you hear?” she asked, facing Andrea.

The older woman chuckled. “I did hear,” she replied. “Why don’t you go get your bag? I’m sure Lauren wants to meet you, too,” she said.

Ally nodded eagerly, dashing down the hallway.

Andrea turned to Normani with a smirk. “I told you she’d be excited,” she stated.

The younger woman rolled her eyes. “Yes, mom, you did,” she replied.

Ally appeared with her backpack and pillow, running into her mom. “Mommy, let’s go, we gotta go!” she said frantically. “I wanna meet my sister!” She grabbed her mom’s hand and tried pulling her to the door to no avail.

“Ally, baby, hold on a sec,” the older woman instructed. “I know you’re excited, but I need you to settle down, okay?” she requested softly. 

The young girl turned to look at her mom, listening intently. 

“Lauren’s a little shy, baby,” Normani continued. “And this is all new for her, so she’s a little scared. Remember when Camila first came over and she was really quiet and hesitant to play?” she asked.

Ally nodded. 

“Okay, well this is just like that. I know you’re excited, but you need to be gentle with Lauren like you were with Camila. Can you do that for mama and I?”

Ally nodded. “Yes, mommy,” she answered. “Does that mean no hugs?” she asked quietly.

“Not unless you ask Lauren first,” Normani replied. “And she might not want to at first, and that’s okay.”

Her daughter nodded. “Alright. Can we go now?” she asked.

Normani smiled, standing up. “Say bye to nana,” she said. 

Ally hugged the older woman. “Bye nana, love you,” she stated.

“You’re going to be the best big sister,” Andrea said, returning the girl’s hug. She looked to her daughter. “Call me and let me know how everything goes.”

“I will,” Normani promised. “Thanks mom, love you.” She grabbed Ally’s hand, leading her out to the car.

\---------

Thirty minutes later, Normani pulled into the driveway. She got out of the car, helping Ally out of her seat.

“Okay, remember what I said?” she asked her daughter.

Ally nodded. “That Lauren might be scared, so I need to be gentle with her,” she responded. “And only give her hugs if she says yes,” she added. 

The dark skinned woman nodded, smiling softly. “Good. Now, Lauren has some owwies. Her arm has a cut and is in a cast and she has some on her back so she might not want to play for a few days. You need to be careful so you don’t hurt her, okay?”

“Yes, mommy,” her daughter replied impatiently. Couldn't her mommy see she wanted to meet her sister? “Can we go inside now?” 

Normani rolled her eyes at the girl’s impatience. “Come on,” she said, leading her daughter  up to the door. She opened it slowly, calling out, “We’re back!”

“In the living room!” Dinah called back as Normani closed the door, locking it behind her.

Slowly, the two made their way into the den, and Ally stopped as soon as she spotted the small, dark haired figure sitting next to Dinah on the couch. “Mama?” she asked.

The blonde stood, holding her hand out to Lauren, who took it and hesitantly stood up, hiding behind the taller woman, peeking out from around her leg.

“Hi, Ally,” Dinah greeted with a smile. “Baby, this is Lauren, and she’s going to be staying with us for while.”

Ally slowly approached the two, and Lauren watched her intently. 

“Hi, Lauren,” the older girl greeted softly, smiling at the younger girl. “I’m Ally, and I wanna be your sister,” she said.


	6. Chapter 6

Dinah heard car doors opening, and took an anxious breath. Now they would find out how Ally would react to having Lauren stay with them.

“Lauren,” she whispered. “Lauren, sweetie, Normani and Ally are home,” she stated softly.

The little girl’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked around warily for a moment. “Back?” she questioned coarsely, still waking up.

“Mhmm, you’ll get to meet Ally,” the blonde replied. “Are you ready?”

“Ally nice?” Lauren asked quietly.

Dinah knelt in front of the couch, looking directly at the girl. “Ally is very nice,” she answered. “In fact, I bet she’s really excited to meet you, too,” she added, sending the green eyed girl a gentle smile. “It’ll be okay, sweetheart. And if it gets too much, tell me and we can go to your bedroom, okay?” she requested.

“‘Kay,” Lauren responded.

“We’re home!” came from the front entryway.

Dinah smiled, slowly putting a reassuring hand on Lauren’s knee before standing up. “In the living room!” she called back.

Normani and a small girl Lauren assumed to be Ally entered the living room, but the girl stopped when she saw Lauren.

“Mama?” the girl asked.

The blonde stood, holding out a hand to Lauren, who took it hesitantly, standing to hide behind the older woman’s legs. “Hi, baby,” Dinah greeted, smiling. “Baby, this is Lauren, and she’s going to be staying here for a while,” she explained.

Lauren watched intently as Ally approached slowly, peeking out from behind Dinah’s leg.

Ally smiled warmly. “Hi, Lauren,” she greeted softly. “I’m Ally, and I wanna be your sister,” she stated.

Dinah looked up at Normani, and the two grinned widely. They didn’t know why they were so worried about Ally’s reaction.

The younger girl, however, eyed the other warily. She was a little worried Ally was just pretending and didn’t really want her here.What if Ally was just waiting to get her in trouble so her mommies sent Lauren back? Lauren didn’t think she’d ever find a home that was as welcoming and Dinah and Normani’s. Ally’s smile seemed genuine though.

“Hi,” Lauren whispered finally.

“How old are you?” Ally asked.

“‘Our,” the smaller girl replied, holding up three fingers on her uninjured hand.

Dinah chuckled. “Like this, sweetie,” she said, holding up four fingers.

Lauren nodded. “‘Our,” she repeated, holding up the correct number of fingers.

Ally smiled. “That’s cool. I’m seven,” she replied, holding up seven fingers. “It’s really nice to meet you,” she stated.

Lauren shifted nervously. “You pretty,” she mumbled.

The older girl smiled. “Thank you. I think you’re pretty, too,” she responded. “I like your shirt.”

“T’ank you,” the green eyed girl said shyly, drumming her fingers on her leg.

Dinah noticed the younger girl was fidgeting. “Lauren, are you okay?” she asked gently.

Lauren shook her head, tears forming in her eyes, hiding her face in the taller woman’s leg.

“Hey, baby, why don’t you go put your stuff away?” Normani suggested to Ally, hoping to give Lauren a little bit to settle down.

Ally nodded, looking worriedly at the younger girl. “Okay, mommy,” she answered. “Is Lauren okay?” she questioned concernedly.

“She will be, mama and I will make sure of it,” the dark skinned woman promised. Once her daughter was upstairs, she turned to walk over to her wife and Lauren.

“Lauren, sweetie, are you okay?” she asked quietly.

Lauren shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks and breathing becoming ragged. She didn’t know what was wrong. She wasn’t hurt, and everyone was so nice. Ally even wanted Lauren to be her sister! She couldn’t tell them what was wrong because there  _ wasn’t  _ anything wrong.

“Lauren, can I take your hand?” Dinah asked softly, earning a hesitant nod. She took a tiny hand in her own, holding it over her chest. “Feel my breathing?” she asked, taking in a few deep breaths, receiving another nod. “Okay, can you copy what I’m doing, sweetheart?” she requested. “Just copy my breathing, okay?”

She continued taking long, deep breaths, watching as Lauren slowly calmed down, her breathing returning to normal.

“Good girl, Lauren,” the blonde praised softly. “You’re okay, it’s okay,” she promised.

“Sweetheart, are you overwhelmed?” Normani questioned quietly. “It’s a lot to take in, huh? Meeting new people and moving somewhere new,” she said.

Lauren nodded, sniffling. “’m so’ry,” she mumbled.

Normani shook her head. “You have nothing to be sorry about,” she assured. “It’s a lot to take in, and that’s okay.” She looked up to the clock, noticing it was nearing seven in the evening. “How about we figure something out for dinner, and then watch a movie?” she suggested.

The tiny girl thought for a minute. Food and a movie sounded good, especially if she got to sit next to Dinah again, because maybe the blonde would let her hold her hand again. Finally, she nodded, wiping away a few stray tears. “‘Kay,” she said. “We ‘atch ‘ _ angled _ ’?” she asked.

The dark skinned woman smiled gently. “Were you watching that earlier?” she questioned.

“‘Es, but felled sleep,” Lauren answered.

“We can finish it, sweetie,” Dinah promised.

Ally appeared at the end hallway, stopping before entering the living room. “Is Lauren okay?” she asked concernedly. She really didn’t want her new little sister to be upset.

“She’s okay,” Normani assured. “You don’t have to hide in the hallway,” she stated.

Lauren looked up at the older girl, sending her a shy smile. “Hi, Awwy,” she said.

The other girl giggled. “I just saw you a few minutes ago, silly,” she said as she moved to sit on the couch.

The adults chuckled at the girls. “Ally, baby, we were just about to decide what to do for dinner,” Dinah explained. “Any suggestions?”

“Can we get pizza, mama?” the seven year old asked.

“What that?” Lauren asked innocently.

Ally gasped in horror. “You’ve never had pizza?” she questioned, flabbergasted. Who hasn’t ever had pizza before?

The green eyed girl shook her head, biting her lip nervously. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that.

Ally looked at her in bewilderment. “You gotta try it, it’s the best!” she exclaimed. She looked to her mommies. “Can we please get pizza so Lauren can try it?” she begged.

Normani and Dinah shared a look. They didn’t get takeout very often, opting to cook healthier meals instead. Ally was giving them her best puppy dog eyes while Lauren looked on confusedly. Finally, they both shrugged, figuring they could make an exception for tonight.

“Alright, baby, we can get pizza,” Normani agreed, walking out of the living to order the pizza.

“Yes!” she screeched, startling Lauren, who jumped slightly and whimpered quietly, her eyes closed tightly.

“Ally, inside voices,” Dinah scolded, before kneeling in front of the youngest girl. “Lauren, it’s okay. Ally just got a little too excited,” she explained softly. 

Lauren slowly opened her eyes, looking up to the blonde. “No like loud ‘oises,” she whispered.

“I know, sweetie,” the blonde said. “But it’s okay, nothing’s going to happen,” she promised.

Ally approached them slowly. “I’m sorry, Lauren,” she murmured. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just excited because we don’t get pizza a lot,” she explained.

The younger girl nodded. “It okay,” she responded.

The brunette smiled, shifting on her feet. “Is it okay if I hug you?” she asked carefully.

Lauren thought for a moment, before nodding. “‘Es,” she answered.

“Just be careful, baby,” Dinah warned. “Lauren’s smaller than you, and she has some cuts on her back. We don’t want to hurt her, okay?” 

“Okay, mama,” Ally replied. Slowly, and very carefully, she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, who stiffened for a moment before reciprocating the hug. “You’re safe here, Lauren,” she whispered into the girl’s ear. “Mommy and Mama will make sure of it,” she promised. “And, I’ll be the bestest big sister and protect you.”

Dinah heard Ally’s promise and smiled proudly. She needed to talk to Normani about making Lauren’s stay permanent. 

Lauren pulled away after a moment, smiling shyly. 

Normani walked back in from the kitchen. “Okay, it’s going to be about forty minutes,” she said. “How about you little ones take baths before the pizza comes, and then we’ll eat and watch the movie afterwards?” she said.

It probably wasn’t the greatest idea to have bath time before dinner, but with all of the excitement of the day Normani didn’t think the kids would last long after dinner. Besides, they could wear some of Ally’s older clothes that they didn’t care whether they got dirty or not.

“Aww, I don’t want to take a bath,” Ally grumbled.

Lauren looked up fearfully. “No, no bath,” she protested.

The adults were a little taken aback. They were used to Ally’s refusal to take a bath, but Lauren’s reaction perplexed them.

“Lauren, sweetie, why don’t you want to take a bath?” Dinah asked softly.

“No like,” the youngest girl answered. “Scary.”

“Lauren, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Normani assured. “We’re not going to hurt you, remember?”

The tiny girl still looked uncertain. 

“What if I take one first so Lauren can see there’s nothing bad?” Ally asked. 

The older women looked to the green eyed girl. 

“Is that okay with you, Lauren?” Dinah questioned softly. 

Lauren nodded hesitantly. “‘Kay,” she responded.

“Okay, I’ll take you guys while Dinah gets clothes for you both,” Normani said. “Can you just grab some of Ally’s older clothes? That way if they get dirty it won’t be anything to worry about?” she asked.

“Sure, babe,” the blonde agreed, pecking her wife’s cheek before running upstairs.

Normani held a held a hand out to each girl. She led them to the upstairs bathroom, quickly running the water. Once it was at the right temperature, she set the plug in the drain and shut off the water. She turned to help Ally out of her clothes and sat Lauren on the lid of the toilet, as Dinah entered the bathroom. 

“Here, I’ve got the clothes and towels, and a trash bag to keep Lauren’s cast from getting wet like Selena said to do,” she said, setting the items on the counter. “I’m going to go wait downstairs for the pizza.”

Normani nodded. “Thanks, DJ,” she said appreciatively, smiling at her wife before the younger woman left.

She lifted Ally up setting her in tub, gently pouring water down her backside, getting her hair wet. Lauren watched curiously as the older woman washed Ally’s hair as the girl recounted her stay at her nana’s house. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, Lauren thought. She hated taking baths at the Brady’s. The water was always cold and the mom wasn’t as gentle as Normani seemed to be as she washed Ally.

Soon enough, Ally was being lifted out of the tub and wrapped in a towel, Normani helping her get her clothes on.

“Baby, can you go wait downstairs with mama?” the older woman requested. 

Ally looked at her confusedly, but nodded. “Okay, mommy,” she said, then smiled at Lauren. “There’s nothing to be afraid. Mommy won’t let anything happen to you,” she promised.

Lauren nodded, then watched the older girl leave. She looked to the older woman. “‘Kay, ‘eady,” she said.

“Okay, first we have to wrap your hand in this,” Normani said, placing the girl’s injured arm in the trash bag. She finished wrapping the cast up, making sure water couldn’t get through. “Alright, now, I’m going to set you in the tub like I did with Ally,” she said as she picked Lauren up and gently placed her in the water, careful of the bandages on the girl’s back. She knew she would have to change those afterwards, and hoped they wouldn’t be hard to take off. She really wanted to hit whoever had done this to the girl, but knew nothing good would come out of that.

Lauren, meanwhile, was relieved to find the water was warm. She really hated taking baths in cold water, it didn’t feel very good. Just like with Ally, Normani was gentle as she washed Lauren’s hair and body, and soon enough, the tiny girl was being lifted out of the water and wrapped in a towel. Normani pulled the plug, letting the water drain. She untied the bag from Lauren’s wrist, freeing her arm. Carefully, the woman removed the old bandages, cringing at the sight of the gashes and scars on the tiny girl. As much as she wanted to kill whoever did this, she knew there wasn’t anything she could do, so instead grabbed the first aid kit from under the counter and replaced the bandages before dressing Lauren.

Finally they were finished, and Normani led her back down to the living room, where Dinah was walking in with the pizza as Ally stood up from the couch..

“Perfect timing,” the blonde remarked as they all walked into the dining room. “Ally, Lauren, what do you guys want to drink?” she asked as they got the girls settled into chairs.

“Juice, please, mama,” Ally replied.

Lauren nodded. “‘uice, p’ease,” she said.

Dinah nodded, setting the pizza on the table before walking into kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with plates, utensils, two waters, and two sippy cups of juice. “Here you go,” she said, setting a cup in front of each girl.

“Thanks, mama,” Ally said, smiling.

“T’ank you,” Lauren echoed.

The blonde smiled, opening up the pizza box. She grabbed a slice and placed on a plate, cutting into smaller pieces, handing it Ally, before doing the same for Lauren.

The adults got their own plates and sat next to the girls. 

Lauren looked at her plate, confused as to how she was supposed to eat. Was she supposed to use a fork? 

Ally noticed the younger girl’s hesitation. “Like this, Lauren,” she said, taking one of the cut up pieces in her hand putting it in her mouth. 

The green eyed girl nodded, copying Ally’s actions, her eyes widening at the taste.

“Do you like it?” the older girl asked.

Lauren nodded excitedly. “It good!” she exclaimed.

“I told you it was the best!” Ally replied.

Normani and Dinah watched the two amusedly. Ally seemed to be taking her ‘job’ as big sister seriously, and as dinner progressed, Lauren seemed to relax more. Finally, they were all finished eating, and the adults wiped the pizza sauces from the girls’ faces, glad they were wearing old clothing, because the two were definitely messy eaters. 

“Lauren, want to go see your room and change into pajamas?” Normani asked as they cleared the table.

“”Kay,” the small girl responded.

Ally ran ahead to her room to change, and the adults led Lauren to another room. Slowly, Dinah opened the door, allowing Lauren to walk in first, and the girl gasped in shock. The walls were a light beige color, and the windows were covered with yellow curtains. Next to the window, there was a brown dresser with a lamp, a Simba stuffie and the Nala stuffie the two had given her when they met. But what surprised Lauren the most was the bed in front of the dresser. It was kid-sized and the wood finish was a tan color, and the bedsheets were  _ The Lion King  _ themed.

A toy chest sat in the corner, and it looked like there might have been a few toys in it already, and the closet was filled with clothes.

Lauren looked to the older woman in awe. “Tis for me?” she questioned disbelievingly. 

“It’s for you,” Normani confirmed.

“T’ank you,” Lauren whispered, throwing her tiny body into the older woman’s arms.

She couldn’t believe this room was hers. Her old room at the Brady’s wasn’t anything special, just a bed and a crate for her clothes, and the bed wasn’t even very comfortable. Unlike this one, that looked super comfy.

Normani was stunned that the young girl had hugged her, but gently reciprocated the embrace. She looked to her wife, finding the blonde watching them with tears in her eyes. “You know, Lauren, Dinah was the one to pick everything out,” she whispered in the girl’s ear. 

Lauren’s eyes widened, and she quickly pulled back to give the blonde a hug of her own. “T’ank you,” she said quietly.

Dinah was momentarily stunned, before she gently returned the hug. “You’re welcome, sweetie,” she replied. “Do you want to get pajamas on?” she asked. “I bet Ally is waiting for us to watch  _ Tangled _ .”

Lauren nodded, pulling back. Normani grabbed a set of pajamas consisting of a purple shirt and pair of shorts with pandas on them. 

She discarded the dirty clothes into the basket by the closet, and Dinah gasped quietly at the sight of Lauren’s back. 

Normani sighed sadly, looking to her wife. “Don’t say anything right now,” she whispered. 

The blonde took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Fuck, Mani, how could do something like that?” she muttered.

The older woman shook her head. “It doesn’t matter right now,” she replied. “What matters is that she’s here and she’s safe,” she stated.

Dinah nodded. “I know, you’re right,” she agreed. “But fuck, no wonder she’s hesitant about people touching her.” She let out another long breath. “Okay, I’m going to go get the movie set up and see if Ally’s finished getting ready,” she said.

“Alright, that sounds good,” Normani agreed. “I’ll finish here with Lauren and help her brush her teeth, then we’ll be down.”

Dinah nodded and left the room.

“DJ mad?” Lauren asked quietly.

Normani sighed. “She’s a little upset, but not with you,” she promised. “She’ll be okay, though.” She helped Lauren into the pajamas, leading her to the bathroom. Quickly, she helped the girl brush her teeth and go to the bathroom before leading her back down to the living room where Dinah and Ally were waiting.

The older girl patted the spot next to her. “Lauren sit here,” she said.

Lauren sat in the indicated spot, a little disappointed she didn’t get to sit next to Dinah. Her disappointment disappeared when Ally held a hand out for the younger girl to take. Lauren looked at it for a moment before shyly taking it with her own.

Normani and Dinah shared a smile and the older woman sat on the other side of Lauren. They were relieved to see Ally was so nice to the younger girl and was making an effort to make her feel welcomed.

Dinah started the movie from the beginning, knowing Lauren had fallen asleep shortly after it began. They were about halfway through when the two noticed the girls were fast asleep, hands still linked together. The blonde paused the movie, setting the remote on the table.

“I’ll take Ally, you’ve got Lauren?” she asked.

“I got her,” Normani confirmed, carefully picking Lauren up and her wife did the same with Ally.

The walked upstairs, carrying each girl into their respective rooms. 

Dinah laid Ally on her bed, tucking her in before placing a kiss to her forehead. “Sleep well, baby,” she whispered.

“‘Ight, mama, thanks for giving me a sister,” the girl mumbled sleepily before drifting off again.

Dinah smiled, walking out of the room, leaving the door halfway open. She walked into Lauren’s room, finding her wife leaning against the doorframe, watching the rise and fall of the tiny girl’s chest.

“I just don’t get how anyone could treat someone like that,” the older woman muttered as her wife’s arms wrapped around her from behind. 

“I don’t either,” the blonde replied, resting her head on her wife’s shoulder. “But like you said, she’s with us now, and we’re not going to let anything else happen to her,” she promised. “Ally’s really happy Lauren’s staying with us,” she continued as she led her wife into their own room. “She’s excited to be a sister.”

Normani grinned. “I don’t know why we were worried about her reacting negatively,” she laughed.

Dinah laid down, pulling the older woman into her. “I, for one, am very happy we decided to do this,” she said.

Her wife nodded, turning to pull the blonde into a kiss. “I am, too,” she agreed. “And I wouldn’t want to do it without you.”

Dinah laughed. “That was so cheesy,” she teased. “But, I wouldn’t want to do it without you, either,” she stated. “I love you, Mani,” she whispered, kissing the older woman’s temple.

“Love you, too, DJ,” the older woman echoed, cuddling into her wife.

Both fell asleep quickly, exhaustion from the day’s events taking over them.


	7. Chapter 7

Lauren sat up in her bed, her breathing short and ragged, tears sliding down her cheeks, and a little confused about her current whereabouts. It wasn’t until she saw the  _ Lion King _ bedding and her Nala on the floor that she realized she had woken from a nightmare. 

In her dreams, she was back at the Bradys’ house and was hiding from her foster parents because she had accidentally wet herself. Mrs. Brady hated when the girl did that, and Mr. Brady had his own ways of trying to fix the problem that usually left Lauren in pain and making even more of a mess of herself.  Thinking back to the dream, Lauren gasped in fear and quickly tossed her sheet and blankets off, relieved to find that she hadn’t peed during her sleep.

Maybe she should tell Normani or Dinah about that, but it could probably wait until morning. Now though, the girl was afraid of going back to sleep, not wanting to relive any experiences from her previous home. She felt safe here with Normani, Dinah and Ally; she didn’t want to mess it up by wetting the bed on the first night. She wasn’t sure how the adults would react, but she past experience made her a little hesitant to find out.

Now that she was awake, however, Lauren could feel a slight pain just below her tummy, and figured if she was going to try to go back to sleep, maybe she should go to the bathroom first. Just so that no accidents happened. Slowly, she made her way out of bed and into the hallway, but stopped at the threshold of her door. 

Most of the doors were closed or just barely opened, and she couldn’t remember which one led to the bathroom, even though Normani had shown her before the movie. She could see the couple’s bedroom, but she was afraid of going in there in case they were upset with being woken up.

Lauren began panicking, she  _ really _ had to go to the bathroom. She could feel tears forming in her eyes, and before she knew it, she was in her room again, leaning against the wall hyperventilating.

A door opened somewhere in the hall, and the tiny girl whimpered, fearful she had accidentally woken someone up and now they were mad.

She could hear footsteps approaching her room, and then a soft, “Lauren?”

She looked up, making out Ally’s concerned face through her tears. “Awwy,” she choked out.

“Lauren, what’s wrong?” the older girl asked softly.

“”Eed potty,” the green eyed girl replied hoarsely.

“Oh, you can’t find the bathroom?” Ally clarified, earning a nod. “Okay, I can help you. But I think you need to calm down,” she said. “Mama and Mommy always tell me that when I’m upset about something,” she added.

Lauren inhaled deeply, letting out a slow breath, remembering Dinah doing that for her earlier. After a few moments, she was considerably calmer.

“Okay, can I take your hand, Lauren?” Ally asked gently.

The tiny girl nodded, shakily holding out her uninjured hand.

The older girl led her out of the bedroom and to a door across the hallway and to the left two doors.

“I’m sorry, I was in there a little bit ago and closed the door,” Ally explained in a whisper. “I didn’t think about you not being able to find it with the door shut.” She opened the door and stepped aside, letting Lauren into the bathroom. 

The younger rushed in, sighing in relief that she was finally able to relieve her bladder. When she finished and had washed her hands, she stepped back into the hallway to see Ally standing there waiting for her with her Nala.

“Come on, let’s go to my room,” the older girl whispered. She led the younger one into her room, allowing Lauren to climb into the bed first, handing the girl her Nala.

It was too dark to see clearly, but it looked like Ally’s room might have been some sort of a Disney theme, too.

“I sleep here?” Lauren asked confusedly as Ally got into the bed next to her, pulling the blankets around them.

The older girl nodded. “You seemed really upset before, I didn’t want you to sleep alone,” she answered.

“‘Ad dream,” Lauren said in explanation.

“A nightmare?”

The green eyed girl nodded. “Scary.”

“Why didn’t you go get mommy or mama?”

The younger girl shrugged. “Not ‘ant to wake dem up,” she whispered.

“They wouldn’t have been mad, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ally replied. “I used to wake them up all the time in the middle of the night. Sometimes I still do, especially when I have nightmares,” she admitted.

“‘Eally?” Lauren asked in disbelief. She couldn’t ever imagine waking up Brady's without something bad happening.

“Uh huh,” the older girl confirmed. “And usually, they let me stay in their room, and they give me lots of hugs, to show that I'm safe,” she continued. “Can I show you?” she questioned gently.

The green eyed girl nodded hesitantly. She felt Ally’s arms carefully snake around her, gently pulling the girl into her side. Lauren sighed contently, nuzzling into the older girl’s chest. 

Ally was right. Lauren  _ did _ feel safe in this position.

“You can go back to sleep,” Ally whispered. “You’re safe now, Lo. I won’t let the bad dreams get you anymore,” she promised.

Lauren’s eyes fluttered closed, and soon she felt herself drifting off again, safely encompassed in the older girl’s hold.

“T’ank you, Awwy,” she mumbled sleepily as she succumbed to sleep once more.

“It’s what big sisters are for,” Ally whispered to the sleeping girl.

\------

Dinah woke up to silence, which was unusual with a seven year old in the house. She checked her phone, seeing it was nearing nine thirty and she sat up quickly. 

Something wasn’t right. Neither she nor Normani were morning people by far, so she wasn’t surprised to see her wife still sleeping next to her. Ally, on the other hand,  _ was _ a morning (neither of the women knew where she got that from, because it sure wasn’t from them, but she could have been like this before she came to stay with them) and the girl was always up by this time begging her mommies to make breakfast.

But Ally wasn’t there, and there didn’t seem to be any noise coming from the living room; the first thing the girl always did was watch TV for a bit before coming to ask them to make breakfast. 

But no, there was total silence, and it slightly worried the blonde. Deciding not to panic just yet, she tapped Normani’s arm, attempting to wake her. 

“What?” her wife grumbled, clearly not happy to be woken up.

“Has Ally been in here this morning?” Dinah asked.

“No, why?” Normani replied, sitting up and grabbing her phone. She was shocked to see it was almost half past nine, and understood her wife’s questioning. “The tv’s not on, either,” she said.

The blonde nodded. “I know, which is why I was wondering if you had gotten up earlier,” she explained.

“No, but we should probably go check on them,” the older woman responded. “See how Lauren did for her first night.”

Dinah nodded, and the two got up, walking down the hall. They passed Ally’s room, and the blonde froze, back tracking to peek through the crack in the door. “Mani,” she called quietly.

Her wife turned to her with a raised brow, but joined the younger woman. She looked into their daughter's room, a soft coo escaping her.

There in the bed were Ally and Lauren, the older girl keeping the younger one in a protective hold, sleeping peacefully.

“I didn’t hear Lauren leave her room last night,” Dinah whispered. “Do you think something happened?” 

Normani peeked into the door to the right, seeing Lauren’s blankets discarded on the floor. She turned back to the blonde, shrugging. “She might have had a nightmare or something,” she said. “Ally probably found her.”

“Why didn’t she come get one of us then?” 

“I don’t know,” the older woman replied.

“Mommy?” a quiet call came from inside the room.

“Hey, baby,” Normani greeted softly as she walked over to the bed, watching as Ally opened her eyes slowly, looking up sleepily. “I see you have a visitor,” she said, motioning to the tiny girl still sleeping.

Ally nodded. “She couldn’t find the bathroom, and she was really upset,” she explained. “She had a nightmare, and I didn’t want her to sleep alone.”

“That’s really sweet of you, baby,” Dinah said as she joined them. “But why didn’t Lauren come get us?” she asked.

“She was afraid to,” the girl answered. “She was scared you guys would get mad.”

“We wouldn’t have been mad,” Normani assured.

“I know, and I told her that,” Ally responded. “But I let her sleep here, and I hugged her just like you guys hug me when I have bad dreams,” she explained. “Because that’s what big sisters do.”

The women smiled proudly. 

“You’re already the best big sister,” Dinah praised. “How about you and mommy go and get breakfast started, and I’ll get Lauren up?” she suggested.

“Kay, mama,” Ally agreed, carefully sliding out of bed and taking Normani’s hand as they left the room.

The blonde watched them with a smile. Ally was going to be the best the big sister, she just knew it. 

She turned back to the girl still sleeping, and gently began rubbing circles on the girl’s back. “Lauren,” she called softly. “Lauren, sweetheart, it’s time to get up.”

Lauren’s eyes fluttered open, and she blinked a few times before looking up at the blonde.

“Morning, sweets,” Dinah greeted.

The tiny girl looked around, noticing she wasn’t in her room. 

The blonde noticed her confusion and explained, “Ally said you were upset in the night, so she let you come sleep with her.”

Lauren nodded, remembering the late night events. “‘Eeded potty,” she rasped, not quite awake yet.

“Ally said you had a nightmare,” the blonde added. “Is that true?” she asked concernedly.

Lauren nodded, looking away. “Was scared,” she admitted.

“Hey, you don’t need to be ashamed,” Dinah said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Carefully, she took hold of the girl’s hand, and when she didn’t pull away, the blonde gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay to be scared, Lauren. Ally gets nightmares, too,” she disclosed. “And when she gets scared, we take care of her. That’s our job. And that goes for you, too,” she promised. “If you have another nightmare, or you get scared for any reason, you can  _ always _ come to us, okay?”

Lauren looked up at the dark brown eyes looking at her lovingly, which surprised her. She’d only known the older woman for a few days, but from the look on the blonde’s face, it would be easy to believe Lauren knew her for her whole life. 

And the thing was, Lauren was starting to  _ truly _ believe she was safe here with them. She woke up in a warm, comfortable bed (even though she technically woke up alone, she did remember Ally holding her when she fell asleep). She wasn’t startled awake or thrown off the bed, Dinah had woken her up gently. She may have only been four, but even she could figure out that the Brady’s ways of parenting was a bad kind of different from Dinah and Normani. 

So, yes, she may still have reservations about her current living situation, but if there was one thing she was sure of, it was that no one in this house was going to hurt her.

Finally, she nodded and squeezed the larger hand that enclosed her own. “‘Kay,” she replied. “I come to you if I scared ‘gain.”

Dinah smiled widely, lifting Lauren out of the bed, chuckling when the girl’s stomach growled. “Let’s go see if Mani and Ally have breakfast ready,” she said, walking out of the room with Lauren settled on her hip.

As they ventured down the hall, Lauren noticed a fence looking thing at the top of the staircase.

“What dat?” she questioned, watching with interest as Dinah pulled a release and opened the gate, then walked down the stairs.

“It’s a safety gate,” the blonde answered. “It’s so that little ones like you and Ally don’t fall down the stairs at night,” she explained. “You need to ask Normani or I if you want to go upstairs so we can help you, alright? Especially if you want downstairs at night. It’s dark and you could get hurt.” 

The green eyed girl nodded. “‘Kay. What if I ‘eed go potty?” she asked quietly.

“Just let one of us know,” Dinah answered. “We don’t want you to get hurt, because you’re still little and stairs are kind of hard to walk up.”

Lauren nodded, appeased at the answer, though still a little worried she might have an accident. 

They finally entered the kitchen, seeing Normani setting pancakes on a plate and Ally sitting patiently at the table.

“Good morning, Lauren,” Normani greeted cheerfully as she set a sippy cup of milk in front of the younger girl. “Did you sleep well?”

“‘Es,” the girl replied. “Awwy protect me fwom bad dream,” she said, sending the older girl a shy smile.

Normani smiled. “Well that’s good,” she replied. “You know that Dinah and I can keep bad 

dreams away, too, right?”

Lauren nodded. “I come if I scared,” she promised. “DJ and Awwy telled me.”

“Good,” the dark skinned woman responded. “Now, are you two little ones hungry?” she asked.

“Mommy, I’m not little,” Ally protested. “I’m seven! That’s not little.”

“Nope, you’re still little to mommy and I,” Dinah countered. “And you always will be,” she teased.

The brunette pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Fine,” she grumbled. Her pout vanished when Normani set a plate with pancakes drenched in syrup in front of her. “Thanks, mommy!” she said.

Dinah set a plate in front of Lauren, who looked up shyly. “T’ank you,” she said quietly.

“You’re welcome, sweetie,” the blonde replied. She and her wife made their own plates and sat at the table.

The four ate in peace, the adults talking about work and the younger ones scarfing down pancakes, until Lauren began fidgeting in her seat.

“Lauren, what’s wrong?” Normani asked concernedly.

“‘Eed potty,” the four year old whispered.

The older woman nodded. “Okay, thank you for telling me,” she replied. 

She stood, picking Lauren up from her chair, and quickly made her way upstairs, setting the girl down when they were outside the bathroom.

“Were you finished eating?” Normani asked as the girl walked back out.

“‘Es,” Lauren answered with a nod.

“Okay, let’s go get you dressed then.” The older woman led Lauren into her room, opening up the closet. “Pick something out,” she urged gently.

Lauren looked at all of the clothes in the closet. There was a lot. She felt a little overwhelmed that there was so much, because she didn’t have a lot of clothes at the Brady’s. Finally though, she just went with a plain pair of shorts and a red shirt. 

Normani was a little curious as to why Lauren wouldn’t want to pick one of the more fancier outfits, but figured she’d let the girl wear whatever made her comfortable. At least this way the girl would be comfortable if she decided she wanted to play with Ally later.

Once she had the girl dressed, they made their way back downstairs, finding Dinah and Ally sitting on the couch watching tv, their daughter dressed for the day in similar clothing to Lauren.

“Alright girls, what do you guys want to do today?” the dark skinned woman asked.

Lauren shrugged and looked at the floor. She wasn’t sure what she was  _ allowed _ to do here. 

Ally, on the other hand, had an idea. “Can Lauren and I go play in the playroom?” she questioned.

Originally what was supposed to be a second living room, (it was only  _ slightly  _ smaller than the actual living room), they’d converted it into a playroom for Ally when they’d decided to adopt her, and it was a place kids of any age that stayed with them temporarily could hang out. It may look like a room for small children, but there was a tv and a few game consoles in there for the older kids, too. It had an indoor play structure with a slide in one corner, a small table with chairs around it in the center, and cubbies along the wall just to the side of the door stocked with coloring supplies, various books, board games, video games, and movies. There was a couch up against another, and even a bunk bed set tucked away against another.

(Okay, yes, the couple may have gone  _ a tad bit _ overboard, but they had the money to afford it and dammit they were going to spoil their daughter if they wanted to.) The bunk bed came in handy when Camila came over to stay the night and Ally and she could stay in the playroom.

“Sure, baby,” Dinah answered. “Why don’t you go show Lauren, and mommy and I will be there in a bit, okay?” 

Ally nodded excitedly, turning to the younger girl. “Can I take your hand?” she asked quietly, earning a small nod from the green eyed girl. Grinning, the brunette took Lauren’s hand and enthusiastically (but carefully) pulled her down the hall.

When the two were out of sight, Dinah looked to her wife. “Demi called,” she started. “She wants to come over on Tuesday to do an evaluation and see how Lauren’s settling in,” she explained.

Normani nodded. “That’s fine,” she replied. “I think we need to get Lauren’s file from her, too. Just so we know what we’re dealing with in terms of Lauren’s past experiences,” she added.

“Obviously it wasn’t very pleasant,” the blonde muttered.

Normani sighed, wrapping her wife in her arms. “No, but we’re going to make sure she doesn’t have to relive any of that,” she said. “I know we’re going to have to talk about it, but I think I want Lauren’s stay to be permanent,” she confessed.

Dinah sighed in relief. “Okay good, because I want that, too,” she responded. “And obviously we’re going to have to talk about it, but I think we need to talk to Demi, too.”

The dark skinned woman nodded. “Then we’ll do that,” she promised.

“Oh, and Demi was wondering if we could watch Mila for the day on Tuesday,” her wife added. “Selena has to cover someone’s shift and their normal sitter isn’t available.”

Normani thought for a minute. “Do you think Lauren would be okay?” she asked. “Mila’s just as excitable as Ally and the two of them together could be a little… overwhelming for her,” she reasoned hesitantly.  

Ally herself was a hyperactive child, but with Camila? Those two were a hurricane of energy that both couples had trouble keeping up with (i.e. cookie stealing incident). With her timid personality, Lauren could easily be overwhelmed with the two of them together.

Dinah shrugged. “Fair point, but if she needs to, Lauren can always just hang back and watch them play until she feels comfortable,” she pointed out. “She’s going to have to meet Camila at some point.”

“I know, I know,” Normani replied. “Camila can come over. We’ll just have to take it slow with Lauren,” she stated.

“Alright, I’ll call Demi back and let her know,” the blonde replied, kissing her wife’s cheek. “You go join the little ones, I’ll be there soon.”

Normani nodded, and walked towards the playroom. 

Hopefully Lauren’s first meeting with Camila would go somewhat smoothly, but those thoughts were for Tuesday. They’d just have to take Lauren’s adjustment to living with them one day at a time.

 


	8. Chapter 8

The next day went about as well as the first had. Lauren was still shy and hesitant to do much, including playing in the playroom. Ally recognized the younger girl's hesitance and would ask if Lauren wanted to play whatever game she was playing at the moment, and smile warmly when the green eyed girl shook her head and sat back and watched instead. 

Now though, it was Tuesday, and that meant Demi would be coming by for an evaluation and Camila would be coming over while her moms were at work.

Normani woke to soft cries coming from down the hall. She grabbed her phone, checking the time to see it was seven am. Concerned, she slipped out of bed (which earned a disgruntled protest from Dinah) and made her way down the hall. Since Ally's room was first on the way, she quietly peeked in to see her daughter sprawled over the bed, sleeping peacefully.

The dark skinned woman frowned. If Ally was still asleep, that meant  _ Lauren _ was the source of the cries, and she hurriedly made her way to the tiny girl's room. She gently pushed the door open to see the girl desperately trying to pull the sheets off her bed. She was confused as to why until she noticed the dark stain in the center of the sheets.

"Lauren?" Normani called softly.

The girl froze, turning to face the older woman fearfully. "I sowwy!" she cried. "No 'ean to!" she sobbed.

Normani frowned in realization. Lauren had an accident during the night and was afraid of being punished.

Slowly, she approached the hysterical girl, inwardly cringing when she cowered. "Lauren, it's okay," she soothed, kneeling in front of the girl. "It was accident. I know you didn't mean to," she assured. 

Lauren shook her head. "No 'urt," she whispered desperately.

The older woman sighed sadly. Lauren was hurt when something like this happened. She growled internally, ready to fight whoever it was that dared to lay a hand on this precious child. 

"Lauren, sweetheart, no one is going to hurt you," she stated profusely. "It was accident, and nothing to be ashamed of. We'll get you cleaned up and get the sheets and clothes in the wash and everything will be fine," she promised.

Lauren nodded hesitantly, sniffling. "'kay," she responded.

Normani stood, walking over to the closet. She grabbed a change of clothes- a simple pair of shorts and a tshirt since that seemed to be what Lauren preferred- and walked back over to the girl.

"Alright, can I pick you up, sweetie?" she asked gently, earning a nod. She lifted the girl up and settled her on her hip, Lauren hiding her face in the crook of the woman's neck. She then began walking towards the master bedroom.

"Hey, what happened?" Dinah asked worriedly seeing her wife walk in with Lauren. 

"Lauren had an accident," Normani answered, earning a whimper from the girl in her arms. "It's okay, sweetie," she soothed, running a hand up and down Lauren's back. "I'm going to get her cleaned up, can you go throw her sheets in the wash?" she asked.

The blonde nodded, getting out of bed. "No problem," she replied. She moved to stand next to the two, placing her hand on Lauren's arm. "It's okay, Lauren," she assured. "Sometimes it happens. But we'll get it cleaned up."

Green eyes shyly met brown. "No mad?" Lauren asked quietly.

Dinah smiled sadly. "We're not mad," she promised. "We'll get you cleaned up and then get some breakfast, alright?"

Lauren nodded in agreement.

"Can you wake Ally up when you've finished?" Normani asked, checking her phone to see it was nearing seven thirty. "Selena's going to be dropping Camila off around eight thirty," she explained.

"Will do," the younger woman replied, pecking her wife's cheek. She smiled at Lauren before leaving the room.

"Alright, let's get you cleaned up," Normani said, carrying the girl into the bathroom.

Slowly, she stripped off Lauren's wet clothes, setting them aside. She wrapped Lauren's cast in a plastic bag, then began filling the tub. 

"I taked baf last night," Lauren said confusedly.

Normani nodded, lifting the girl and carefully sitting her in the tub. "I know, but this is the easiest way to clean you up," she explained, gently running a washcloth over Lauren's body. 

After a few minutes, the woman pulled the drain, and lifted Lauren out of the tab, wrapping her in a towel. She dried the girl off, then helped her into the new clothes.

"Alright, let's go see what Dinah and Ally are up to, shall we?" she asked, tickling Lauren's side.

Lauren giggled (Normani decided then she was going to make it her mission to get the girl to laugh more, because it was one of the most adorable sounds), nodding. "'es," she agreed.

The two made their down to the kitchen (or, Normani did with Lauren on her hip) and found Dinah getting a bowl of cereal for a sleepy looking Ally sitting at the table, who perked up at Normani and Lauren's appearance. 

"Hi, mommy! Hi, Lauren!" the girl greeted cheerily seeing the two newcomers.

"Hi, baby," Normani replied, setting Lauren in a chair next to the older girl and placing a kiss to her daughter's temple. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mhm," Ally confirmed. "Is Mila coming over today?" she asked.

"She is, and Selena's going to be dropping her off soon," the dark skinned woman answered. 

"Yay!" the brunette exclaimed happily. "Can Lauren play with us, too?" she questioned.

"If Lauren wants to," Dinah responded as she set a bowl of cheerios in front of her daughter. "But if she doesn't, that's okay, too. Lauren's still a little shy." She turned to the green eyed girl. "Do you want cereal, too, Lauren?"

"'es, p'ease," the girl answered.

The blonde nodded, walking back to the counter and pouring cheerios into another bowl. As she went to add milk, a choked whine of protest came from the table. Both adults looked to see Lauren watching the younger woman, fidgeting a little like she wanted to say something.

"What's wrong, sweets?" Normani asked.

"No 'ilk," Lauren whispered.

Dinah nodded. "You just want the cereal?" she clarified, earning a small nod. She walked over to the table, setting the bowl in front of the girl. "There you go," she said with a warm smile. 

Normani then filled a sippy cup with milk, setting it next to Lauren. 

Shortly after the girls began eating, the doorbell rang. 

"That would be Sel and Mila," Dinah said, going to answer the door.

"Yay!" Ally screeched excitedly, startling Lauren, who covered her ears with her hands (or at least attempted to, her cast causing an issue).

"Ally, inside voice please," Normani scolded

"Sorry, mommy," her daughter said sheepishly. "Sorry, Lo," she whispered to the younger girl. "I was just excited because Mila's here. I haven't seen her in  _ forever _ ," she explained dramatically.

The dark skinned woman rolled her eyes. "She was just here last Wednesday, Ally," she reminded.

"That's a whole week!" the older girl argued. "Which is like forever!"

Normani chuckled, shaking her head. "Whatever you say, baby," she said.

Dinah reappeared with two followers, the little one running to hug Ally.

"Ally!" the girl exclaimed happily.

"Mila!" Ally shouted just as enthusiastically.

Lauren whimpered at the loud yells, moving to hide behind Normani.

"Ally, what did I just tell you?" the woman questioned 

"Use my inside voice," her daughter answered sheepishly. "Sorry, Lauren," she said softly to the green eyed girl.

Normani shook her head. "Are you done eating, Ally?" she asked, receiving a nod. "Why don't you and Mila go on up to your room then," she suggested.

Ally nodded excitedly, grabbing Camila's hand and rushing out of the kitchen. "Don't run up the stairs, girls," Dinah warned.

"Okay, mama," the older girl replied as the two left.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Those two," she mumbled, earning laughs from the other two adults. "Are you okay, Lauren?" she asked softly, looking to the tiny girl still hiding behind Normani.

Lauren nodded. "No like loud," she whispered.

"We know you don't," Normani replied, setting Lauren back in her seat. "Ally just gets excited sometimes and forgets she shouldn't yell in the house," she explained. "It's not a bad kind of loud, Lauren," she assured.

The girl nodded, though she was still a little unsure. "'kay," she replied quietly, going back to eating her cereal.

"Lauren, do you remember Selena?" Dinah questioned.

The green eyed girl looked up at the doctor, nodding after a few moments. "Fix owwies," she said. "She nice."

Selena smiled. "That's right," she confirmed. "How are you, Lauren?"

"I good," the girl responded. "Mani and DJ nice, and Awwy like me," she said.

"Well, that's great," the doctor replied. She looked to the women. "Are her injuries healing okay?" she inquired.

Dinah nodded. "The cuts on her back are healing up, though some of the smaller ones have reopened, so it's going to take a bit still," she replied.

"And her arm?" 

"She hasn't complained about it, so we think it's doing okay," the blonde answered. "We have an appointment next week so we'll see how it's healing then."

Selena nodded. "Okay, good," she said. "Demi's going to be by later. I think she mentioned having Lauren's file to give to you guys."

"I don't want to look at it, but we need to know what we're dealing with," Normani sighed.

The older woman nodded sadly. "Just from the ER visits Lauren had, I can say it's probably not going to be very good," she stated. "I need to get going, though. Thanks so much for taking Mila for the day," she said gratefully.

"It's not a problem," Dinah assured. "Ally obviously was really excited about her coming over."

Selena chuckled. "I could tell," she agreed. She looked back at the tiny girl. "Bye, Lauren, it was great seeing you again," she said, smiling.

"'ye," Lauren replied shyly.

The doctor looked back to her friends. "Demi will pick Mila up after she gets off later tonight," she said.

Dinah nodded, leading the older woman out of the room. "That's fine," she replied.

After the two left, Normani turned back to Lauren. "Are you done eating, sweets?" she asked.

The tiny girl looked back at her now empty bowl. "'es," she answered.

Normani eyed the still full cup of milk. "Can you drink your milk while I clean up?" she requested, figuring she'd give Lauren a little more time of peace before properly introducing her to Camila.

"'kay," Lauren agreed, sipping from the cup.

Normani put away the cereal and placed the two bowls in the dishwasher, then made herself and Dinah a quick breakfast, knowing neither of them had eaten yet.

Dinah returned, pulling the older woman into a kiss and thanking her.

"Eww," Lauren giggled. 

The women laughed, loving the sound of the girl's giggles. 

"Hmm, maybe I should do it some more then," the blonde teased, wanting to see more of Lauren like this.

The tiny girl shook her head. "Nuh uh," she replied. "It 'ross," she said, crinkling her nose.

"Hmm, fine," Dinah relented. 

Normani rolled her eyes. "Three days and she's got you wrapped around her finger already," she jested.

Dinah shrugged. "I don't mind," she replied, not even bothering to deny it. "She's cute. And just wait, it'll happen to you, too. It didn't take long for that to happen with Ally," she pointed out.

Her wife raised her hands in surrender. "Fine," she relented. "Are you all done with your milk, Lauren?" she asked.

Lauren nodded, holding up her empty cup.

"Good job, sweets," Dinah praised, taking the cup and the other dishes to place in the dishwasher.

Ally and Camila entered the kitchen, both out of breath. 

"Mommy, can Lauren come play with us?" the older girl asked.

The adults shared a look, contemplating the question. They had hoped to ease Lauren into meeting Camila, knowing the girl could be a little too hyperactive and rambunctious. 

"Lauren, do you want to go play with them?" the older woman questioned.

The tiny girl looked up hesitantly, seeing Ally's excited face and Camila looking at her suspiciously.

"'kay," she whispered.

Ally approached the younger girl slowly. "Can I take your hand?" she asked.

Lauren nodded, holding up her hand for the other to take.

The older girl led her over to where Camila stood. "Mila, this is Lauren," she said. "She's my sister now. Lauren, this is Mila, my best friend."

"Hi," Lauren whispered shyly, not looking at the other girl.

The other brunette looked Lauren over. "What hap'ned to your hand?" she asked.

"It hurted," the green eyed girl replied.

"How?"

Lauren shook her head, not wanting to answer.

"Mila, it doesn't matter," Ally said.

Camila shrugged, dropping the subject. "Ally, let's go play," she said, trying to pull the older girl out of the kitchen.

"Lauren, do you want to come?" Ally asked, earning a small nod from the girl.

Camila huffed, not wanting Lauren to come with. She didn't like Lauren, she decided. The girl might try and steal Ally away from her, and she didn't want that to happen.

Ally led the two upstairs (carefully, like her moms requested) and to her room.

Lauren hadn't been in there since the first night when the older girl had found her. She was surprised to see it was  _ Finding Nemo _ themed.

Lauren hesitantly sat on the bed and watched as the other two played with the stuffed animals that littered the floor.

"Lauren, want to play?" Ally asked. 

The green eyed girl shook her head. 

The older girl smiled warmly. "Okay, let us know if you want to though," she replied.

The two continued playing as Lauren watched. After a while, Normani walked into the room. 

"Lauren, Demi's here. Can you come down stairs for me?" she asked.

Lauren nodded, getting off of the bed. Secretly she was kind of relieved, because Camila kept giving her weird looks but she didn't know why. She grabbed the older woman's hand subconsciously.

Normani's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly masked it. "Ally, Mila, you guys stay up here, okay?" she requested.

"Okay, mama." "Yes, auntie Mani." were the replies she received.

Normani led Lauren back down to the living room, where Dinah and Demi were talking.

"Demi!" Lauren exclaimed happily, running to the social worker to hug her.

"Hi, Lauren," Demi greeted cheerily. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I good!" the green eyed girl replied. "Dey nice," she said, pointing to the couple.

The black haired woman smiled. "That's good, Lauren," she said. "And Ally? Is she nice, too?" she questioned.

Lauren nodded. "Let me sleeped in her room a'cuz I scared," she explained.

Demi nodded. "So you like it hear?" she asked, receiving an enthusiastic nod. "I'm glad to hear that, sweetie." She looked back to the adults. "How's she been the last couple of days?" 

"The first night went okay. Ally found her after she had a nightmare, which is why they slept in Ally's room," Normani explained. "Lauren mostly followed Ally around Sunday and yesterday. We think she's still a little reluctant to play with anything in fear of getting in trouble."

Demi sighed sadly. "That would be because almost anything she did while with the Brady's resulted in some form of punishment," she said, miming quotations at the last word.

"There was a slight mishap this morning," Dinah added. "She wet the bed at some point, and was afraid we would be mad. We got it all cleaned up though, right Lauren?"

"'es, Mani and DJ no mad," the girl agreed.

The social worker smiled. "I'm glad to hear that," she said to the girl. "I told you they were nice, didn't I?"

Lauren nodded. "I like dem. No mean like others," she confessed.

"I know. I'm going to make sure you get to stay with them for a while," Demi promised. "I do have her file, if you guys really want it," she said.

"We don't  _ want _ to look at it," Dinah responded. "We just want to know what we're dealing with in terms of her past foster homes."

The social worker nodded. "The first one she was in after her parents died was a good one," she started. "But they couldn't take her in for long because they were having financial issues at the time. They did their best for the short time she was there, though."

"And after that?" Normani asked.

"Not very good," Demi answered. "The second house she got taken out of because the dad was making meth in the side house, and you guys know what happened with the last one."

"How do these people get licensed to foster kids?" Normani asked incredulously.

"They just pretend to be good foster parents when inspections happen," the social worker answered sadly. "And in some cases, there's just not enough evidence or it's not solid enough to do anything about it."

"What's happening with the previous foster family, anyways?" Dinah questioned.

"Mr. Brady is in jail awaiting trial for arson, attempted murder, and child abuse and neglect," Demi explained. "And Mrs. Brady was arrested for child abuse and neglect, but chances are she'll get a plea deal, but her license will be revoked."

"Will Lauren have to testify?" Normani asked. "She's four, would they really make her do it?"

Demi shrugged. "They have photos of her injuries and and records of her hospital visits. Selena will probably have to, but I doubt Lauren would," she answered. "Anyways, I need to look around the house and make sure things are up to standards."

Dinah nodded. "Alright," she said, leading Demi out of the room.

Lauren looked up at Normani when the two had left. "I 'tay here?" she asked confusedly.

"You're staying here," the dark skinned woman confirmed. "Demi's just making sure the house is safe." She moved to sit on the couch.

"Oh, 'kay," Lauren replied. She crawled onto the couch next to the older woman. "Like here," she said. "No 'ant to leave."

"You won't," Normani promised. "Dinah and I are going to do everything we can to make sure you stay here."

Lauren nodded, leaning into the woman as Normani turned on the tv.

After a while, Dinah and Demi returned.

"Alright, everything looks good," the social worker said. She pulled a folder out of her bag, handing it to the blonde. "This is a copy of Lauren's file. It should have any information you might need, but you can always call me," she said. She pulled one more thing out of her bad. "You might want to wait to give this to her," she said, motioning to the girl. "It's a picture of her and her parents," she said quietly. "I've kept it safe for when she found a decent home."

Normani nodded. "We'll give it to her tonight," she said. 

Demi nodded, then looked to the blonde. "I'll see about that thing when I get to the office," she said vaguely, earning a confused look from Normani and a nod from Dinah. "I need to get back, I'll be back around sixish to get Mila?" she asked.

"Sure, that's fine," Normani agreed.

Demi nodded, and with a final hug from Lauren, walked out of the house. 

"What is she going to do at her office?" Normani asked her wife.

"I'll tell you later," the blonde promised.

Ally and Camila came running into the living room.

"Mommy, mama, can we go in the playroom?" 

Normani looked at the clock to see it was almost eleven. "For a little bit, and then lunch," she agreed.

Ally and Camila ran off down the hall, before the older girl ran back in. "Lauren, do you want to come?" she asked.

Lauren hopped off the couch, nodding. She followed Ally to the playroom, plopping down on the couch and watching the other two. Camila was still giving her dirty looks, and she didn't think she wanted to play just yet.

"Ally why did you bring her?" Camila whined, pointing to Lauren. "She's weird."

Ally gasped. "Mila! That's not very nice!"

The younger brunette shrugged. "It’s true," she replied. "And she doesn't play, and that's dumb."

"Don't be mean," Ally scolded. "Or I'll tell mommy and mama."

Camila huffed. "Fine."

They moved on to play tea party at the coloring table, and Camila dragged a protesting Lauren over to play with them.

"No, you're doing it wrong!" the four year old yelled as she tried to show Lauren how 'drink' the tea. 

Lauren whimpered at the loud shout. "I sowwy," she whispered.

"Lauren, it's okay," Ally assured. "You don't have to play if you don't want to."

The green eyed girl sniffled, going back to sit on the couch. The older girl joined her, gently grabbing Lauren's hand. "Don't listen to Mila," she said. "You can play tea party however you want."

"No, there are rules!" Camila argued.

"Nuh uh," the older girl responded. "It's pretend. Lauren can play how she wants."

The younger brunette huffed, going to play on the slide.

"Want to go try the slide?" Ally asked the girl sitting next to her. "You still haven't tried it."

Lauren hesitantly nodded, and Camila rolled her eyes. She  _ really  _ didn't like Lauren. Ally no longer wanted to play because of the girl. Camila just wanted to play with Ally without having to worry about Lauren.

She climbed to the top of the play structure, waiting as the other two climbed up.

"Watch, Lauren," Ally said as she went down the slide. "You don't have to go fast, so don't be scared," she assured.

Lauren nodded, then went to sit at the top of the slide. She was still a little nervous to go down, but Ally had done it, so maybe she could, too. Before she could do anything, she felt a shove from behind and was going down the slide uncontrollably. 

"Lauren!" Ally exclaimed, trying to catch the girl.

Lauren hit the bottom roughly, and tumbled to the floor landing on her arm, promptly bursting into tears.

"Mama! Mommy!" the older girl yelled. 

The women rushed into the room, finding Lauren clutching her arm with Ally sitting beside her looking worried.

"What happened?" Dinah asked.

"Mila pushed Lauren down the slide, and Lauren landed on her arm," Ally explained frantically.

"I didn't push her!" Camila defended as she slid down the slide.

"Did to! I saw you do it!"

Normani picked Lauren up, holding the girl as she sobbed. "Camila, why did you push Lauren?" she asked sternly. "You know that's not safe."

"I didn't!" Camila yelled. 

Dinah sighed. "Come on, let’s go talk," she stated, grabbing Camila's hand and leading her out of the room. 

Normani walked over to the couch, sitting down and adjusting Lauren in her lap. "Can I see your arm, sweetheart?" she asked.

Lauren nodded, holding up her right arm, which was a bright red from being rubbed along the carpet.

"At least it wasn't the broken one," the woman mumbled. "Does it hurt?" she questioned.

Lauren shook her head, her sobs reduced to soft cries. "'cary," she mumbled. 

"I'm sure it was," Normani agreed. "I'm not sure why Camila did that if she really did." While she trusted her daughter not to lie, she and Dinah also weren’t in the room to see it happen.

"I don't think Mila likes Lauren," Ally said as she sat next to the two.

"Why do you say that, baby?" 

"Because she called Lauren weird and said it was dumb that she didn't want to play much," Ally confessed. "I told her that wasn't very nice and that if she said stuff like that again I would tell you and mama."

"You should have come told us," Normani said, sighing. "We'll have a talk with Mila, and I'm sure auntie Demi and auntie Selena will be talking to her tonight, too."

"Mommy, I think Lauren fell asleep," Ally said.

The woman looked down to see the tiny girl had indeed fallen asleep. "Why don't you go watch tv in the living room while I go lay Lauren down in my room," she said.

Ally nodded. "Okay, mommy," she agreed, running out of the room.

Normani sighed, standing to walk out of the room. She and Dinah would have to call Demi and Selena to figure out what to do about Camila's behavior. This was turning out to be an interesting day.

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

Dinah led Camila to the kitchen, pulling out a chair and setting it in the corner. She lifted the girl up and sat her down, kneeling in front of her. “Do you want to tell me why you pushed Lauren down the slide?” 

The little brunette huffed, crossing her arms. She didn’t think she needed to explain anything. She didn’t mean to push Lauren as hard as she had, but she didn’t regret doing it.

“Mila, you’re already in a lot of trouble,” Dinah warned. “I don’t think you want to make it worse by having an attitude.” She sighed. “You know, what you did was really mean and hurt Lauren.”

Camila remained silent, not looking up at the older woman. She didn’t mean to hurt Lauren, but she was stealing Ally away. The older girl didn’t want to play as much because Lauren didn’t.

“You know we’re going to have to call your mommies, right?”

Camila’s eye widened in fear. If her mommies found out, she was  _ definitely _ getting a time out, and probably more than that. “No! No tell mommies!” the four year old pleaded.

The blonde shook her head. “No, we’re going to be talking to your mommies, Camila,” she stated. “What you did was bad, and Lauren could have seriously been hurt, or her current injuries made even worse. And your actions have consequences,” she said firmly. “Sit here, and wait until myself or Mani come and get you,” she said, walking into the living room.

She spotted Ally sitting on the couch dejectedly, and moved to sit down next to her daughter. “Where’s mommy, baby?” she asked.

The girl crawled into the blonde’s lap. “Lauren fell asleep, so mommy took her to your room to lay down,” she answered. “Mila said Lauren was weird and that it was dumb she didn’t want to play. Mama, how come Mila was so mean to Lauren?” she asked.

Dinah sighed, pulling Ally closer. “I don’t know, baby,” she replied. “But she’s in time out right now, so hopefully she thinks about what she did and why it was wrong.”

“Are you going to tell aunt Demi and aunt Selena?”

The older woman nodded. “They need to know. What Camila did was wrong and could have seriously hurt Lauren,” she explained. “They’ll talk to Camila and she’ll face the consequences for what she did.”

“Is Mila gonna be banned from coming over?” Ally asked, slightly panicked. “She was mean to Lauren, but I still want her to come over and play, and, and maybe her and Lauren will play, too.”

Dinah smiled sadly. “No, baby, she’s not banned from coming over,” she assured. “But it might be awhile before she comes over again,” she added.

“I really want her to like Lauren,” the brunette admitted. “Lauren is so nice, she’s just a little shy. I think Camila would really like her, mama.”

The older woman hummed. “I think Camila’s just a little jealous,” she said. “She’s not used to sharing your attention, and because you were focused on Lauren, it made her a little upset,” she explained.

“That’s not fair!” Ally exclaimed. “Camila was really shy when she first came, and you and mommy, and aunt Demi and aunt Selena were all focused on her, but I didn’t get upset,” she argued.

“That’s a little different, Ally,” Dinah replied. “You and Camila have spent a lot of time playing together since she started living with Demi and Selena, and now suddenly there’s another girl in the picture.”

“What picture?” her daughter asked confusedly, scrunching her face in thought. “We don’t have any pictures with Lauren.”

The blonde chuckled. “It’s an expression, baby,” she answered. “But the point is, it’s just been you and Camila when she comes over, and now suddenly Lauren’s here, and you’re not spending as much time with Camila.”

“But we were playing together,” the girl retorted.

“Yes, but you were checking up on Lauren a lot and making sure she was comfortable or asking if she wanted to play,” Dinah reasoned. “So not all of your attention was on Camila. And while it doesn’t make what she did okay, to her it was justified because she wanted all of your attention, but Lauren was taking some of it away.”

Ally sighed. “I don’t want Camila to play with me if she’s going to be mean to Lauren,” she said.

Dinah sighed. “I know, but hopefully Camila has a change of attitude soon,” she said.

Normani entered the room from the staircase, spotting the two on the couch. “Where’s Mila?” she asked.

“In the kitchen,” her wife replied, motioning to the entryway where the dark-skinned woman could see the four year old sitting sadly in a chair.

“I called Demi,” Normani started.

“And?”

“And she was livid,” Normani answered. “Like, I don’t think I’ve ever heard her so angry. She mostly has paperwork to do for the rest of the day which she said she’d do from home, so she’s on her way to pick Camila up,” she explained.

The blonde sighed. “This is not how I wanted today to go,” she mumbled.

“I know,” the older woman responded. “Come on, let’s go talk to Mila. Ally, stay here or go up to your room, please,” she said to her daughter.

“Okay, mommy,” the girl answered, standing from the couch and running upstairs.

The adults moved into the kitchen, and Camila looked up at the sound of their entrance.

“Camila, your mommy’s on her way to come get you,” Normani said.

The girl paled. “No, please,” she begged.

“Sorry, Mila,” Dinah replied. “But what you did was wrong, and you need to face the consequences. What if you had really hurt Lauren?” she asked seriously.

“I didn’t mean to!” Camila cried.

“Then why did you push her?” Normani asked expectantly, kneeling in front of the girl.

“Because if she was scared, then she wouldn’t want to play, and it would just be me and Ally.”

The older women sighed, sharing a look.

“Camila, Ally is really excited to be an older sister,” the blonde started. “And she wants Lauren to feel welcomed, just like when you first came.”

“Lauren doesn’t have much experience playing with other kids,” Normani added. “Does pushing her sound like wanting to make her feel welcomed?” she questioned.

Camila hung her head in shame. “No, auntie Mani,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed Lauren.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Dinah agreed. “But, you’re still going to have face the consequences with your mommy.”

A sudden knock on the door sounded, and Camila stiffened, knowing her mom was on the other side.

“I’ll get it,” Normani said, walking to the front room.

She opened the door to an angered Demi.

“Is Lauren okay?” the social worker questioned as she was let in.

“She’s a little freaked out, by otherwise aside from carpet burn she’s okay,” Normani assured. “She’s sleeping right now; I think it got to be a little too much for her.”

Demi sighed, rubbing her temples. “I am so sorry about this,” she replied. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Camila, but it won’t be happening again,” she promised.

“Dinah and I think she might be a little jealous,” the younger woman admitted. “It doesn’t excuse what she did, though.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Demi agreed. “She’s not getting away with this behavior,” she promised.

“Mommy? I think Lauren’s awake,” Ally said from the top of the staircase. “I don’t think she slept very well.”

Normani nodded. “Thank you, baby, I’ll be right up,” she replied. “Dinah and Camila are in the kitchen,” she said to the social worker.

Demi nodded, and walked into the kitchen, earning the attention of her daughter.

“Camila Gomez-Lovato, you are in a lot of trouble,” she stated sternly.

Camila looked up with a frightened expression. “I sorry mommy!” she exclaimed, hoping her mom wouldn’t be as mad.

The social worker shook her head. “You’re not getting out of trouble that easily,” she warned. She knelt down and gently put her hands on the girl’s shoulders.“What you did was dangerous, Camila. You could have hurt Lauren.”

Normani entered the kitchen, Lauren in her arms, her head laying on the woman’s shoulder.

Demi looked at the two, before turning back to her daughter. “Do you have anything to say to Lauren, Camila?” she asked.

Camila sniffled, but stood up and slowly approached Normani and Lauren. “I’m sorry, Lauren,” she whispered. “I should not have pushed you.” She nervously shifted on her feet, looking up at the green eyed girl. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Lauren didn’t know how to reply. No one had ever  _ apologized _ for hurting her. This was new territory for her. “No more push?” she asked.

Camila shook her head. “No, I won’t push you ever again,” she promised. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. I was bad.” She looked to the floor.

The green eyed girl watched the other girl for a few moments, before nodding. “‘Kay, ‘give you,” she said.

Camila looked up quizzically. “You forgive me?” she asked.

Lauren nodded. “‘Es,” she replied simply.

“Why? I was mean to you. I don’t think I’d forgive myself,” she mumbled.

“Want be fwiend,” Lauren answered quietly.

Camila sighed, looking down. She really messed up. Lauren hadn’t done  _ anything _ to her, yet she had written Lauren off from the first minute. 

The three adults had been watching the exchange in silence before Demi spoke up. “Come on, Camila,” she ordered gently. “You’re still in a lot of trouble,” she said. “Starting with your sleepover this weekend being cancelled.”

Camila pouted, but nodded, taking her mom’s hand. “Okay, mommy,” she said sullenly. “Bye, Lauren. I'm sorry for pushing you,” she apologized once more as her mom led her out of the room, Dinah walking them out.

Normani sighed, setting Lauren on a chair at the table. “Ally, you can come in,” she said, watching as her daughter poked her head around the corner.

The seven year old smiled sheepishly. “Hi, mommy,” she greeted.

“Hi, you little eavesdropper,” the older woman replied. “What do you two want for lunch?” she asked.

“Sandwiches!” Ally replied.

Lauren shrugged, nodding in agreement, a yawn taking over.

“Hmm, I think you need another nap after lunch,” Normani said as she prepared the sandwiches. “You didn’t sleep very long before.”

The green eyed girl shook her head. “No, no nap,” she disagreed. 

Normani frowned. “Lauren, I think you need one,” she stated. 

“Need what?” Dinah asked as she returned, joining her wife in making lunch. 

“No nap,” Lauren interjected, answering the question.

Dinah nodded in understanding. “Lauren, I think you should take a nap,” she said gently. “But, why don’t you want to take one?” she asked, seeing Lauren getting ready to argue. 

It surprised the two, hearing the girl already arguing with them. So far she had been pretty easy going in doing what the two said. Maybe there was more to it than just not wanting to take a nap.

The green eyed girl sat back in her chair, looking down at her lap. She didn’t want to tell them she was afraid of wetting the bed again, because it happened a lot when she slept. They hadn’t been mad when Normani found her this morning, but she didn’t want to test her luck.

“No want wet bed,” she finally mumbled.

The couple sent each other a look of understanding. 

“Lauren, does that happen often?” Normani asked gently, not wanting to embarrass the girl too much, especially since Ally was nearby. She sighed when the tiny girl nodded. “Sweetie, it’s not anything to worry about. We can help with that, okay?” she said.

“‘Ow?” Lauren questioned.

“Well, we can get you some pull ups to wear when you sleep,” Dinah answered. “And if you need them during the day, too, that’s alright,” she added.

Lauren nodded, still not looking up. “‘Kay,” she agreed quietly.

The adults set a plate and a sippy cup in front of each girl, letting them eat, then went back to the counter to make their own plates.

“That makes things a little clearer,” the blonde mused. “Why Lauren was panicked about the bathroom the first night, and then this morning,” she said.

“We should have asked Demi about it before,” Normani replied. “But, we know now, at least. One of us can go out later to get some pull ups,” she added, earning a nod from her wife.

“Mommy, is Mila still coming over this weekend?” Ally interrupted them.

The two sighed. 

“No, baby,” Dinah answered. “Part of her punishment is your sleepover isn’t going to be happening. And I don’t think Mila will be coming over again for a while,” she explained.

“‘Ow come?” Lauren asked.

“Because what she did was dangerous and could have seriously hurt you,” Normani explained. “And Mila needs to learn that kind of behavior is never okay. So it’s going to be a while before she comes over again.”

“But we be fwiends?” the tiny girl questioned.

“Well, I don’t see why not,” Dinah answered. “Maybe next time she does come over you can ask her to be your friend, too.”

“Yeah, then all of us can play together!” Ally said excitedly. “But if she’s mean to you again, then I don’t want to be her friend, either.”

Lauren nodded, turning back to her sandwich. She was still a little worried Camila might be mean to her in the future, but the girl had apologized for pushing her, something that never happened in her previous homes.

Once everyone had finished their food, Normani picked Lauren up from her seat. “So, nap time, yeah?” she asked.

Lauren felt sleepy now that she had eaten, and nodded, laying her head on the older woman’s shoulder. “‘Kay, I take nap,” she agreed.

The dark skinned woman smiled, walking upstairs. “Once you’re awake, we can watch a movie downstairs again. How does that sound?” she questioned.

Lauren nodded, letting Normani lay her on her bed. “Ally and DJ, too?” she asked.

“Yep, they can watch, too.”

Lauren nodded, curling up under the blankets with her Nala. 

Normani figured the girl must have been more tired than she let on because Lauren was softly snoring within minutes. Smiling, she walked out of the room, leaving the door open in case Lauren needed them.

She walked down to the living room to find Dinah sitting on the couch with Lauren’s file, Ally nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Ally?” she asked, taking a seat next to her wife.

“In her room. She figured if Lauren was taking a nap, she could, too,” the blonde replied. “I was debating if I wanted to look at this,” she said, gesturing to the folder in her lap. “I mean, it’s just going to confirm what we already know. Lauren suffered all kinds of abuse and mistreatment in her previous homes.”

“Yeah, but there’s probably really important information in there,” the older woman reasoned. “Like medical records and allergies, stuff like that.”

The younger woman sighed. “Okay, you’re right,” she relented. “I still don’t want to read about the assholes that hurt that child,” she grumbled.

“I don’t think there’s much we can do to avoid it,” Normani replied sadly. “It sounds like most of her medical records are going to be ER reports from whatever her previous foster families did.”

Dinah sighed, looking down to the folder. She sighed, looking back to her wife. “Ready?” she asked quietly.

Normani nodded, opening the folder. “Ready,” she replied.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Dinah led Camila to the kitchen, pulling out a chair and setting it in the corner. She lifted the girl up and sat her down, kneeling in front of her. “Do you want to tell me why you pushed Lauren down the slide?” 

The little brunette huffed, crossing her arms. She didn’t think she needed to explain anything. She didn’t mean to push Lauren as hard as she had, but she didn’t regret doing it.

“Mila, you’re already in a lot of trouble,” Dinah warned. “I don’t think you want to make it worse by having an attitude.” She sighed. “You know, what you did was really mean and hurt Lauren.”

Camila remained silent, not looking up at the older woman. She didn’t mean to hurt Lauren, but she was stealing Ally away. The older girl didn’t want to play as much because Lauren didn’t.

“You know we’re going to have to call your mommies, right?”

Camila’s eye widened in fear. If her mommies found out, she was  _ definitely _ getting a time out, and probably more than that. “No! No tell mommies!” the four year old pleaded.

The blonde shook her head. “No, we’re going to be talking to your mommies, Camila,” she stated. “What you did was bad, and Lauren could have seriously been hurt, or her current injuries made even worse. And your actions have consequences,” she said firmly. “Sit here, and wait until myself or Mani come and get you,” she said, walking into the living room.

She spotted Ally sitting on the couch dejectedly, and moved to sit down next to her daughter. “Where’s mommy, baby?” she asked.

The girl crawled into the blonde’s lap. “Lauren fell asleep, so mommy took her to your room to lay down,” she answered. “Mila said Lauren was weird and that it was dumb she didn’t want to play. Mama, how come Mila was so mean to Lauren?” she asked.

Dinah sighed, pulling Ally closer. “I don’t know, baby,” she replied. “But she’s in time out right now, so hopefully she thinks about what she did and why it was wrong.”

“Are you going to tell aunt Demi and aunt Selena?”

The older woman nodded. “They need to know. What Camila did was wrong and could have seriously hurt Lauren,” she explained. “They’ll talk to Camila and she’ll face the consequences for what she did.”

“Is Mila gonna be banned from coming over?” Ally asked, slightly panicked. “She was mean to Lauren, but I still want her to come over and play, and, and maybe her and Lauren will play, too.”

Dinah smiled sadly. “No, baby, she’s not banned from coming over,” she assured. “But it might be awhile before she comes over again,” she added.

“I really want her to like Lauren,” the brunette admitted. “Lauren is so nice, she’s just a little shy. I think Camila would really like her, mama.”

The older woman hummed. “I think Camila’s just a little jealous,” she said. “She’s not used to sharing your attention, and because you were focused on Lauren, it made her a little upset,” she explained.

“That’s not fair!” Ally exclaimed. “Camila was really shy when she first came, and you and mommy, and aunt Demi and aunt Selena were all focused on her, but I didn’t get upset,” she argued.

“That’s a little different, Ally,” Dinah replied. “You and Camila have spent a lot of time playing together since she started living with Demi and Selena, and now suddenly there’s another girl in the picture.”

“What picture?” her daughter asked confusedly, scrunching her face in thought. “We don’t have any pictures with Lauren.”

The blonde chuckled. “It’s an expression, baby,” she answered. “But the point is, it’s just been you and Camila when she comes over, and now suddenly Lauren’s here, and you’re not spending as much time with Camila.”

“But we were playing together,” the girl retorted.

“Yes, but you were checking up on Lauren a lot and making sure she was comfortable or asking if she wanted to play,” Dinah reasoned. “So not all of your attention was on Camila. And while it doesn’t make what she did okay, to her it was justified because she wanted all of your attention, but Lauren was taking some of it away.”

Ally sighed. “I don’t want Camila to play with me if she’s going to be mean to Lauren,” she said.

Dinah sighed. “I know, but hopefully Camila has a change of attitude soon,” she said.

Normani entered the room from the staircase, spotting the two on the couch. “Where’s Mila?” she asked.

“In the kitchen,” her wife replied, motioning to the entryway where the dark-skinned woman could see the four year old sitting sadly in a chair.

“I called Demi,” Normani started.

“And?”

“And she was livid,” Normani answered. “Like, I don’t think I’ve ever heard her so angry. She mostly has paperwork to do for the rest of the day which she said she’d do from home, so she’s on her way to pick Camila up,” she explained.

The blonde sighed. “This is not how I wanted today to go,” she mumbled.

“I know,” the older woman responded. “Come on, let’s go talk to Mila. Ally, stay here or go up to your room, please,” she said to her daughter.

“Okay, mommy,” the girl answered, standing from the couch and running upstairs.

The adults moved into the kitchen, and Camila looked up at the sound of their entrance.

“Camila, your mommy’s on her way to come get you,” Normani said.

The girl paled. “No, please,” she begged.

“Sorry, Mila,” Dinah replied. “But what you did was wrong, and you need to face the consequences. What if you had really hurt Lauren?” she asked seriously.

“I didn’t mean to!” Camila cried.

“Then why did you push her?” Normani asked expectantly, kneeling in front of the girl.

“Because if she was scared, then she wouldn’t want to play, and it would just be me and Ally.”

The older women sighed, sharing a look.

“Camila, Ally is really excited to be an older sister,” the blonde started. “And she wants Lauren to feel welcomed, just like when you first came.”

“Lauren doesn’t have much experience playing with other kids,” Normani added. “Does pushing her sound like wanting to make her feel welcomed?” she questioned.

Camila hung her head in shame. “No, auntie Mani,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed Lauren.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Dinah agreed. “But, you’re still going to have face the consequences with your mommy.”

A sudden knock on the door sounded, and Camila stiffened, knowing her mom was on the other side.

“I’ll get it,” Normani said, walking to the front room.

She opened the door to an angered Demi.

“Is Lauren okay?” the social worker questioned as she was let in.

“She’s a little freaked out, by otherwise aside from carpet burn she’s okay,” Normani assured. “She’s sleeping right now; I think it got to be a little too much for her.”

Demi sighed, rubbing her temples. “I am so sorry about this,” she replied. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Camila, but it won’t be happening again,” she promised.

“Dinah and I think she might be a little jealous,” the younger woman admitted. “It doesn’t excuse what she did, though.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Demi agreed. “She’s not getting away with this behavior,” she promised.

“Mommy? I think Lauren’s awake,” Ally said from the top of the staircase. “I don’t think she slept very well.”

Normani nodded. “Thank you, baby, I’ll be right up,” she replied. “Dinah and Camila are in the kitchen,” she said to the social worker.

Demi nodded, and walked into the kitchen, earning the attention of her daughter.

“Camila Gomez-Lovato, you are in a lot of trouble,” she stated sternly.

Camila looked up with a frightened expression. “I sorry mommy!” she exclaimed, hoping her mom wouldn’t be as mad.

The social worker shook her head. “You’re not getting out of trouble that easily,” she warned. She knelt down and gently put her hands on the girl’s shoulders.“What you did was dangerous, Camila. You could have hurt Lauren.”

Normani entered the kitchen, Lauren in her arms, her head laying on the woman’s shoulder.

Demi looked at the two, before turning back to her daughter. “Do you have anything to say to Lauren, Camila?” she asked.

Camila sniffled, but stood up and slowly approached Normani and Lauren. “I’m sorry, Lauren,” she whispered. “I should not have pushed you.” She nervously shifted on her feet, looking up at the green eyed girl. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Lauren didn’t know how to reply. No one had ever  _ apologized _ for hurting her. This was new territory for her. “No more push?” she asked.

Camila shook her head. “No, I won’t push you ever again,” she promised. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. I was bad.” She looked to the floor.

The green eyed girl watched the other girl for a few moments, before nodding. “‘Kay, ‘give you,” she said.

Camila looked up quizzically. “You forgive me?” she asked.

Lauren nodded. “‘Es,” she replied simply.

“Why? I was mean to you. I don’t think I’d forgive myself,” she mumbled.

“Want be fwiend,” Lauren answered quietly.

Camila sighed, looking down. She really messed up. Lauren hadn’t done  _ anything _ to her, yet she had written Lauren off from the first minute. 

The three adults had been watching the exchange in silence before Demi spoke up. “Come on, Camila,” she ordered gently. “You’re still in a lot of trouble,” she said. “Starting with your sleepover this weekend being cancelled.”

Camila pouted, but nodded, taking her mom’s hand. “Okay, mommy,” she said sullenly. “Bye, Lauren. I'm sorry for pushing you,” she apologized once more as her mom led her out of the room, Dinah walking them out.

Normani sighed, setting Lauren on a chair at the table. “Ally, you can come in,” she said, watching as her daughter poked her head around the corner.

The seven year old smiled sheepishly. “Hi, mommy,” she greeted.

“Hi, you little eavesdropper,” the older woman replied. “What do you two want for lunch?” she asked.

“Sandwiches!” Ally replied.

Lauren shrugged, nodding in agreement, a yawn taking over.

“Hmm, I think you need another nap after lunch,” Normani said as she prepared the sandwiches. “You didn’t sleep very long before.”

The green eyed girl shook her head. “No, no nap,” she disagreed. 

Normani frowned. “Lauren, I think you need one,” she stated. 

“Need what?” Dinah asked as she returned, joining her wife in making lunch. 

“No nap,” Lauren interjected, answering the question.

Dinah nodded in understanding. “Lauren, I think you should take a nap,” she said gently. “But, why don’t you want to take one?” she asked, seeing Lauren getting ready to argue. 

It surprised the two, hearing the girl already arguing with them. So far she had been pretty easy going in doing what the two said. Maybe there was more to it than just not wanting to take a nap.

The green eyed girl sat back in her chair, looking down at her lap. She didn’t want to tell them she was afraid of wetting the bed again, because it happened a lot when she slept. They hadn’t been mad when Normani found her this morning, but she didn’t want to test her luck.

“No want wet bed,” she finally mumbled.

The couple sent each other a look of understanding. 

“Lauren, does that happen often?” Normani asked gently, not wanting to embarrass the girl too much, especially since Ally was nearby. She sighed when the tiny girl nodded. “Sweetie, it’s not anything to worry about. We can help with that, okay?” she said.

“‘Ow?” Lauren questioned.

“Well, we can get you some pull ups to wear when you sleep,” Dinah answered. “And if you need them during the day, too, that’s alright,” she added.

Lauren nodded, still not looking up. “‘Kay,” she agreed quietly.

The adults set a plate and a sippy cup in front of each girl, letting them eat, then went back to the counter to make their own plates.

“That makes things a little clearer,” the blonde mused. “Why Lauren was panicked about the bathroom the first night, and then this morning,” she said.

“We should have asked Demi about it before,” Normani replied. “But, we know now, at least. One of us can go out later to get some pull ups,” she added, earning a nod from her wife.

“Mommy, is Mila still coming over this weekend?” Ally interrupted them.

The two sighed. 

“No, baby,” Dinah answered. “Part of her punishment is your sleepover isn’t going to be happening. And I don’t think Mila will be coming over again for a while,” she explained.

“‘Ow come?” Lauren asked.

“Because what she did was dangerous and could have seriously hurt you,” Normani explained. “And Mila needs to learn that kind of behavior is never okay. So it’s going to be a while before she comes over again.”

“But we be fwiends?” the tiny girl questioned.

“Well, I don’t see why not,” Dinah answered. “Maybe next time she does come over you can ask her to be your friend, too.”

“Yeah, then all of us can play together!” Ally said excitedly. “But if she’s mean to you again, then I don’t want to be her friend, either.”

Lauren nodded, turning back to her sandwich. She was still a little worried Camila might be mean to her in the future, but the girl had apologized for pushing her, something that never happened in her previous homes.

Once everyone had finished their food, Normani picked Lauren up from her seat. “So, nap time, yeah?” she asked.

Lauren felt sleepy now that she had eaten, and nodded, laying her head on the older woman’s shoulder. “‘Kay, I take nap,” she agreed.

The dark skinned woman smiled, walking upstairs. “Once you’re awake, we can watch a movie downstairs again. How does that sound?” she questioned.

Lauren nodded, letting Normani lay her on her bed. “Ally and DJ, too?” she asked.

“Yep, they can watch, too.”

Lauren nodded, curling up under the blankets with her Nala. 

Normani figured the girl must have been more tired than she let on because Lauren was softly snoring within minutes. Smiling, she walked out of the room, leaving the door open in case Lauren needed them.

She walked down to the living room to find Dinah sitting on the couch with Lauren’s file, Ally nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Ally?” she asked, taking a seat next to her wife.

“In her room. She figured if Lauren was taking a nap, she could, too,” the blonde replied. “I was debating if I wanted to look at this,” she said, gesturing to the folder in her lap. “I mean, it’s just going to confirm what we already know. Lauren suffered all kinds of abuse and mistreatment in her previous homes.”

“Yeah, but there’s probably really important information in there,” the older woman reasoned. “Like medical records and allergies, stuff like that.”

The younger woman sighed. “Okay, you’re right,” she relented. “I still don’t want to read about the assholes that hurt that child,” she grumbled.

“I don’t think there’s much we can do to avoid it,” Normani replied sadly. “It sounds like most of her medical records are going to be ER reports from whatever her previous foster families did.”

Dinah sighed, looking down to the folder. She sighed, looking back to her wife. “Ready?” she asked quietly.

Normani nodded, opening the folder. “Ready,” she replied.

 


	11. Chapter 11

It starts with whimpers coming through the baby monitor Dinah and Normani had set up. Since the morning Lauren had wet her bed, they had decided to use a baby monitor to know when or if the tiny girl was moving around in the night, even after they got the girl pull ups to protect her in her sleep. 

This time, the couple is awoken by whimpers and choked cries coming through the monitor. Worried, they hurry out of bed and down the hall to Lauren’s room, finding the girl with her eyes clenched tightly and squirming under her blankets, her skin coated in a light layer of sweat and a paler shade than usual.

Frowning, Normani walked closer to the bed, laying a hand on the girl’s forehead, earning a whine from the green eyed girl. “Shit, she’s burning up,” she muttered.

Lauren’s eyes fluttered open, and she let out another whine. “Mani, ‘urts,” she croaked.

“What hurts, sweetheart?” Dinah asked, kneeling next to the bed and unwrapping the blankets from around Lauren’s body.

“‘Ead and tummy,” the girl whimpered, closing her eyes again, her tiny body wracked by gagging noises.

Dinah swiftly picked the girl up and rushed into the bathroom, setting the girl on the floor in front of the toilet just in time for her to empty her stomach. 

“I sowwy!” Lauren cried when she finished. “No ‘ean to!” Tears fell freely down her cheeks, her breathing becoming more and more ragged.

“Lauren, sweetie, it’s okay,” Dinah soothed, rubbing her hand up and down the girl’s arm. “Sweetheart, everyone gets sick, it’s okay. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Slowly, Lauren calmed herself down, her sobs becoming sniffles. “‘Urts,” she whimpered, clutching her stomach.

“I know,” Dinah sighed. 

“Everything okay?” Normani asked from the doorway.

The blonde shook her head. “This little one threw up a bit,” she answered. “I think it’d be best to get her in the bath for a bit. Can you get a change of clothes, and the children’s tylenol?” she requested.

Her wife nodded. “No problem,” she replied. “I threw her sheets and blankets in the wash. They were covered in sweat. If her fever doesn’t go down in a few hours, we might need to take her in,” she said.

Dinah sighed, nodding. “You’re right. Will you grab the thermometer while you downstairs?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be back in a bit,” Normani said, walking out of the bathroom.

“Alright, little one, let’s get you cooled off, hmm?” the blonde said, turning back to Lauren. 

Gently, she pulled the girl’s pajamas off, then discarded the soiled pull up. Seeing how soaked it was, she was glad they had decided to have Lauren use them, otherwise the girl might have been even more upset. She turned on the water, testing it to make sure it was lukewarm temperature. She shut the water off when the tub was half filled, just as Normani returned. 

“I’ve got a plastic bag for her cast,” the older woman said, gently wrapping Lauren’s hand up, making sure the cast wouldn’t get wet. When she was done, she carefully lifted Lauren up and set her in the water, the girl squirming at the cool water.

“I know, it’s not very warm,” the older woman sympathised. “But we need to get you cooled off, sweets,” she said.

“You’ll feel a lot better, Lauren,” Dinah assured. She looked to her wife. “Is Ally still asleep?” she asked.

Normani nodded. “Yeah, hopefully she stays asleep for the rest of the night,” she murmured. “Hopefully we can get this one back to sleep, too.”

The blonde hummed in agreement. She gently ran a washcloth over Lauren’s body, mindful of the still healing cuts on the girl’s back. After rinsing the girl off, she carefully lifted Lauren from the tub, wrapping her in a towel, setting the four year old on the counter. Lauren leaned back against the wall, her eyes drooping in exhaustion.

“Lauren, sweetie, we need you to stay awake just a bit longer,” Dinah said softly. 

Lauren whined in protest. “S’eepy,” she mumbled.

“I know you are, but we need you take some medicine to make you better,” Normani replied. 

She filled a medicine cup with children’s tylenol, holding it up to Lauren’s face. 

“Just take this, and we’ll get you dressed and you can go back to sleep,” she promised.

Lauren eyed the cup suspiciously, turning away from it. “Nuh uh,” she responded, shaking her head.

The couple sighed, knowing from experience with Ally that this wouldn’t be an easy task.

“Lauren, please, take the medicine,” Dinah requested gently. “Your head and tummy still hurt, right?” she asked, receiving a nod from the tiny girl. “This will help make it stop hurting,” she explained, motioning to the plastic cup in her wife’s hand. “Take it, and then we’ll get you dressed and grab Nala and you can come sleep with us.”

“‘Ith you?” Lauren questioned, surprised. She never imagined being able to sleep anywhere but her own bed, and the thought of sleeping in the couple’s bed with them sounded really good.

Normani smiled. “Yeah, you can sleep in our bed,” she confirmed. “Your sheets and blankets are in the wash, so your bed isn’t made,” she explained. “And, whenever Ally is sick, we let her sleep in our bed and cuddle. Does that sound like a good idea to you?” she asked.

The green eyed girl nodded, eyeing the tiny cup with a dark liquid in it. Finally, she nodded, wanting cuddles and sleep more than not wanting to take the medicine.

Normani held the cup to Lauren’s lips, helping her drink the contents. Lauren scrunched her face in disgust at the taste, and the older woman chuckled, holding up a sippy cup filled with water.

“Here, drink this,” she urged, helping Lauren hold the cup up.

Lauren took a few sips, before pulling away from the cup. 

“Good job, sweets,” Dinah praised. “Alright, let’s get you dressed and then off to bed, yeah?” she suggested, earning a sleepy nod from the girl.

Gently, the blonde got Lauren into a new pull up before dressing her in a pair of shorts and a light t-shirt, hoping to keep the girl as cool as possible.

“Let me check her temperature before we go,” Normani said. 

She stood in front of Lauren with the thermometer, one of the ones you just place near the forehead and run across to the temple. After a few seconds, it beeped, and Normani looked at it.

“102.3,” she read out loud. 

Dinah sighed, nodding. “Okay, if it doesn’t go down in an hour or so, we’ll call Selena and see what she thinks,” she said. “If it gets worse we take her in.” 

The older woman nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a plan,” she replied. She lifted Lauren off the counter, settling her on her hip as the girl laid her head in the crook of the older woman’s neck. 

Deciding to leave the mess in the bathroom for now, Normani made her way back to their bedroom as Dinah veered off into Lauren’s room. As the dark skinned woman settled Lauren in the middle of the bed, the blonde returned with Nala in tow. 

“Alright, here you go, sweetie,” the younger woman said, placing the stuffed lion into the girl’s arms.

Lauren immediately hugged Nala to her chest, letting out a sigh of content. The couple laid on either side of the girl, getting settled into bed once again. Lauren curled into Normani, reaching her right hand out for Dinah.

The two smiled, and the blonde took Lauren’s tiny one in her own. 

“You can sleep now, Lauren,” she assured, seeing the girl watching them tiredly.

Lauren closed her eyes completely, her breathing evening out soon after.

Dinah set an alarm on her phone, setting it on the side table. “I set a timer for an hour,” she said. “If it doesn’t change or it goes down, we’ll leave her to sleep for the night.”

An hour later, when they checked Lauren’s temperature, it had gone down a few degrees, and they both let themselves drift off to sleep for the rest of the night, hoping to get a few more hours of sleep, knowing the day ahead of them would long and tiring.

\------

“Mama.” 

Dinah was awoken by a voice calling and something hitting her arm. She opened her eyes, before turning to look behind her.

Seeing Ally standing at the side of the bed, she smiled. “Hi, baby. Did you sleep well?” 

Ally nodded, then pouted. “How come I wasn’t allowed to cuddle with you guys?” she asked, pointing to where Lauren was curled up against Normani, fast asleep and clutching her Nala to her chest.

Dinah sighed, sitting up. “Lauren’s sick, Ally,” she answered. “Mommy and I were up with her really early this morning, and we didn’t want to leave her alone while she’s sick.”

“Can you get me breakfast, mama?” 

The blonde nodded. “Yeah, let’s go downstairs,” she said as she got out of bed, Lauren whining at the movement and reaching out for the older woman. “Shh, Lauren, it’s okay. Go back to sleep,” she said softly, watching as the small girl settled down before her breathing evened out once more.

Dinah held her hand out for Ally to take, the brunette complying happily. “Alright, missy, what do you want to eat?” she asked as they reached the kitchen.

“Hmm, Fruit Loops please.”.

The older woman nodded, grabbing the requested cereal from the cupboard. She poured some in a bowl and added milk, then grabbed a spoon and set it in front of her daughter.

“Mama can we go swimming today?” Ally pleaded when she finished eating.

Dinah sighed as she made a cup of coffee. “Not today, baby,” she replied apologetically.

“Why not?” her daughter whined.

“Because, Lauren is really sick, and mommy and I will be busy taking care of her,” the older woman answered.

“But I want to go swimming!” Ally cried.

“I know you do, and we’ll go when Lauren is feeling better,” Dinah promised.

“That’s not fair! I haven’t gone swimming since before Lauren come!” she argued.

The blonde inhaled slowly, knowing she was going to have to be patient with her daughter in this new situation.”I know, baby, and I’m sorry we haven’t been able to let you go swimming,” she said. “But Lauren is really sick, and she needs both mommy and I right now. You’re just going to have to wait until Lauren is feeling better and myself or mommy can take you.”

Ally threw her bowl off the table in anger. “This is stupid! I want to go swimming today!” she shouted. “I don’t like Lauren being here anymore!”

“Ally,” Dinah warned. 

“But she’s ruining everything!” 

“Allyson Brooke Hansen,” Dinah called sternly. 

The girl froze in her spot, looking up at her mom fearfully.

“That was not a very nice thing to say,” the blonde scolded. “Lauren can’t take care of herself when she’s sick, she’s too young,” she lectured. “You know how when you don’t feel very good and mommy and I give you medicine and let you sleep in our bed?” she asked, earning a nod. “Well, that’s what Lauren needs right now. I’m sorry we can’t take you swimming or play with you right now, but Lauren needs us. Just like you do when you’re sick,” she explained.

“I’m sorry, mama,” Ally whispered, sniffling as tears formed in her eyes. “I didn’t mean it! I like having Lauren here! I don’t want her to go away!” she cried, rushing to throw herself in Dinah’s arms.

The older woman lifted her daughter up. “Ally, you’re alright, calm down,” she soothed, running a hand up and down the girl’s back. She stayed like that until the girl calmed down, then spoke softly. “I think you need to go to your room for a little bit and think about what you said and your behavior this morning.”

Ally nodded resignedly. “Okay, mama,” she responded.

Dinah set the girl on the ground, taking her hand and leading her upstairs. When they reached the girl’s room, she opened the door and said, “I’ll come get you in a little bit. Think about what you said and did and why it wasn’t very nice.”

Ally nodded, then moved to flop down on her bed. Dinah sighed, walking back to the master bedroom.

“Everything alright?” Normani asked as her wife sat on the edge of the bed. “I heard shouting and something banging on the floor.”

The younger woman shook her head. “Ally was upset she couldn’t go swimming today,” she explained. “She said some things she shouldn’t have, and now she’s in her room thinking things over.”

The dark skinned woman sighed, nodding. “I checked Lauren’s temperature again,” she said, changing topics. “It’s gone down some more, though she still has a slight fever.”

“Alright, well, let’s get her to eat something and then give her some more medicine,” Dinah replied. “And then we can get Ally and have another movie day.”

The older woman nodded. “Sounds good,” she agreed. She looked down at the girl cuddled against her, fast asleep. “Lauren,” she called softly, slightly shaking the girl. “Lauren, can you open your eyes for me?” she asked.

The four year old groaned in protest, curling further into the older woman. 

Dinah chuckled, leaning over to run her hand up down Lauren’s arm. “Sweetheart, it’s time to wake up,” she said softly.

“Nuh uh, s’eepin’,” Lauren mumbled.

“Come on, Lauren,” the blonde said softly. “Let’s get you some breakfast and some more medicine, and then we’ll watch a movie.”

Lauren opened her eyes slightly, looking to the older woman. “‘Ovie?” she questioned.

Normani laughed, smiling. “Yeah, we’ll watch a movie. But you have to eat and take some more medicine,” she said.

The green eyed girl nodded, reaching out to Dinah. The younger woman gently picked the girl up, settling her on her hip and walking out of the room. 

As her wife took Lauren to the kitchen, Normani walked over to Ally’s room, sitting on the edge of the girl’s bed, her daughter lying with her face hiding in her pillows..

“Ally, can I talk to you?” she questioned 

The seven year old rolled over onto her back, looking up at the older woman, her eyes red from crying. “I’m sorry, mommy,” she croaked. “I didn’t mean what I said. Lauren didn’t ruin anything and I really like her being here.”

Normani sighed, pulling her daughter into her lap. “You know that Lauren needs mama and I to help her, right?” she asked.

Ally nodded. “Mama told me that Lauren is too little to take care of herself and that she needs you just like I do when I’m sick,” she answered.

“That’s right,” the dark skinned woman responded. “It’s not that we don’t want to take you swimming today,” she promised. “How would you feel if you were sick and we took Lauren swimming and you couldn’t go?” she questioned.

“I wouldn’t like that very much,” her daughter mumbled. 

“Exactly. Now, when Lauren is feeling better, we’ll take you guys swimming,” she promised. “But right now, Lauren needs to rest and be taken care of. Mama took her downstairs to eat and take more medicine, and then we’re going to watch movies today,” she explained. “Do you want to join us?” she asked.

“Mama said I couldn’t leave until she came and got me,” Ally answered sadly.

“Are you sorry for what you said?” 

The seven year old nodded. “Yes, and for throwing my cereal bowl,” she replied.

“So that’s what that was,” Normani murmured. “You know better than to throw things when you’re upset, Allyson,” she reprimanded.

“I know, mommy, I’m sorry,” the brunette responded.

The older woman nodded. “Well, I think you’ve served your timeout,” she said. “But next time, you’ll be in a lot more trouble,” she warned. 

Ally nodded, then took Normani’s outstretched hand. The two walked down to the living room, finding Lauren seated in Dinah’s lap munching on a bowl of dry Cheerios and holding her Nala.

“Did you give her more tylenol?” Normani asked as she sat on the couch, Ally climbing into her lap.

“Yep, we were just waiting for you two to join us,” the blonde answered.

Ally looked to Lauren, and let out a sigh. “I said some mean things about you, Lauren,” she said quietly.

Lauren tilted her head in confusion, frowning, because she hadn’t seen Ally yet today so how could she have said anything mean?

“I said that I didn’t like you being here anymore, and that was bad,” Ally stated. “I didn’t mean it. I like you being here and want you to stay. I’m sorry for what I said.”

The tiny girl moved her bowl to the side of the couch, and crawled across the couch to wrap the older girl in a hug, catching everyone else by surprise.

“‘T ‘kay, Awwy, I ‘ive you,” she promised.

Ally nodded, gently hugging the younger girl back. “You’re the best little sister ever, Lauren,” she whispered. 

Lauren giggled, and placed a sloppy kiss on Ally’s cheek, before returning to Dinah’s lap and continuing to eat her Cheerios. 

Dinah and Normani looked at each other, both with massive grins on their faces. Normani got up and set up the DVD player, putting  _ Finding Dory _ on. The four spent the morning watching the movie, and when it was over, they looked to see both girls had fallen asleep.

The blonde chuckled, and released a yawn herself. “Want to take them both back to our room and sleep a little longer?” she asked.

Her wife nodded, standing with Ally in her arms, holding a hand out for the younger woman. The two made their way back to their bedroom, getting both girl tucked under the blankets before getting into bed themselves. 

Lauren curled into Ally’s side, and the older girl wrapped her arms around the smaller girl.

Dinah smiled at the sight. “I want this to be our future,” she whispered.

Normani nodded in agreement. “Hopefully Demi can help us make that happen,” she responded. 

They laid in bed watching the two girls sleep before they themselves finally were overcome with exhaustion, and soon enough all four were sleeping peacefully.


	12. Chapter 12

Ally still felt guilty for what she had said about Lauren while the younger girl was sick. She didn’t mean it, and she thought Lauren knew that, but she still felt horrible. However, she had a plan to make sure Lauren knew she was a part of their family. She just needed to ask her mama for help.

“Mama, can I borrow some money?” the seven year old asked while she and Dinah were watching tv; Normani had just taken Lauren upstairs to nap.

Dinah looked at her daughter with a raised brow. She knew the girl still felt horrible for what she said the other day, but was curious to where this was going. “What for, baby?” she questioned.

“Well, I want to show Lauren that she’s a part of our family,” Ally answered. “And, and I was going to ask if we could take her to the zoo and then to get ice cream. But I need money for that, but I don’t have much.”

The blonde smiled. She and Normani gave their daughter a weekly allowance is she kept her room clean, but that wasn’t enough to pay for what Ally wanted to do. The ice cream part, maybe, if the girl hadn’t spent it yet.

“Baby, you know mommy and I can pay for that, right?”

The younger girl sighed, but nodded. “Yes, I know, mama. But I wanted to do it, to show Lauren I think she’s the best little sister ever.”

Dinah chuckled, pulling her daughter into her lap. “Tell you what: how about we plan a family day for later this week,” she suggested. “Lauren has a doctor’s appointment, and she probably won’t be very happy about it. I bet a trip to the zoo and then ice cream would make her feel a lot better afterwards,” she shared, whispering like she was telling a secret.

Ally grinned, nodding excitedly. “Yes! Let’s do it, mama!” she exclaimed.

“Shh, Ally,” Dinah laughed, putting her finger to her lips in an attempt to quiet the girl. “You don’t want to spoil the surprise, do you?” 

The small brunette shook her head fervently. “Uh-uh, mama.”

“Well, then you have to be quiet about this,” the blonde replied. “It’s a top secret mission.”

Ally gasped, nodding. “Top secret. Agent Ally and Agent Mama on the case,” she said with a salute, breaking into a fit of giggles.

Dinah rolled her eyes. “You’re a goof,” she teased, tickling the girl’s sides.

“No, mama, stop!” the girl pleaded through uncontrollable laughter.

“What are you guys doing?” Normani asked from the bottom of the stairs, a sleepy Lauren on her hip.

“Mommy, help!” Ally cried, getting up to run behind the older woman.

Lauren flinched at the shout, leaning further into Normani.

“Ally, inside voice, remember?” the dark skinned woman reminded her daughter.

The girl nodded. “Sorry, Lauren,” she apologized. 

“‘T’ kay,” the green eyed girl mumbled.

“I thought you were taking a nap, little one,” Dinah said, getting up to take the girl from her wife.

“She was, until a certain two people decided to be loud,” Normani said pointedly.

Dinah sent the older woman a sheepish smile. “Sorry,” she mumbled. 

Her wife rolled her eyes, taking a seat on the couch. Ally crawled into the older woman’s lap while Dinah sat down next to them, adjusting Lauren into a more comfortable position. Soon enough, both girls were fast asleep.

“So, Ally wants to take Lauren to the zoo and out for ice cream,” Dinah said quietly. “She wanted to pay for it herself, but she doesn’t have the money for that.”

Normani chuckled. “We can pay for it,” she replied.

“She knows that, but she wanted to do it to make Lauren feel like she’s a part of our family,” the blonde explained. 

Normani hummed in understanding. “Is this about what she said the other day?” she asked.

“Yeah. I told her we could plan a family day for after Lauren’s doctor’s appointment.”

“That’s a good idea,” the older woman agreed. “I’m sure Lauren would love it.”

“Just don’t tell Lauren,” Dinah warned. “Ally wants it to be a surprise, and so we made it a top secret mission,” she explained.

Normani smiled. “Alright, I won’t say anything,” she agreed.

\---------

The next few days passed uneventfully, and now it was the day of Lauren’s doctor’s appointment. The couple hoped it would go smoothly, especially because Lauren would be seen by Selena at the hospital so she’d be a familiar face, but they knew it could just as easily not go very well.

As they waited for Selena, Lauren looked extremely tense. The girl knew she wouldn’t be hurt, but she was still nervous.

Ally wanted to help make Lauren feel more comfortable, but she didn’t know how. She didn’t want to spoil the top secret mission, but it did give her an idea.

“Mama, can I have your phone?” she asked quietly from where she was sitting the next to the blonde, Normani sitting with Lauren on the exam table in front of them.

Dinah raised a brow, but handed her daughter her phone, watching as Ally walked over to stand next to Lauren.

“Lauren, want to look at lion facts?” 

The green eyed girl tilted her head quizzically, interested.

Normani smiled, knowing what Ally as doing, and helped the girl to sit next to Lauren before going to sit next her wife.

“Hmm, let’s see,” Ally said as she typed on the phone. “Oh! Okay, this says that lions are second biggest cat species, only tigers are bigger,” she read.

“‘Ions big,” the younger girl agreed. “‘Ary,” she added.

Ally nodded in agreement. “But they don’t live here, so it’s okay,” she assured.

Lauren nodded. “More?” she asked.

“Uh, lions sleep for twenty hours every day,” the older girl read. “That’s more than mama sleeps, and she sleeps a lot,” she whispered, causing Lauren to giggle.

“Hey, leave me out of this,” Dinah said with an eye roll, but couldn’t help smiling at the girls.

“See ‘ions?” Lauren asked when she stopped giggling.

Ally nodded, and looked up pictures of lions. They scrolled through, looking at pictures and watching a few videos before a knock on the door sounded.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Selena said as she entered.

“‘Lena!” Lauren exclaimed happily.

“Hi, sweetheart,” the doctor greeted. “I heard you’re here for a check up.”

Lauren nodded. “I no hurt,” she said proudly, because since staying with Dinah and Normani she hadn’t been in anymore pain, except for the first few days when everything was still healing.

Selena smiled. “That’s very good to hear,” she replied, helping Lauren onto the scale to weigh her and then measure her. “Do you like living with Ms. Dinah and Ms. Normani?” she asked.

The four year old nodded furiously. “I ‘ike lots,” she said. “Safe and, and no hurt. Lots ‘ugs, too,” she explained.

The doctor nodded seriously. “Hugs are very important,” she agreed. “And everything has been okay regarding her injuries?” she asked, turning towards the couple.

“Yeah, the cuts on her back are healing well, it’s just the deeper ones that still aren’t completely healed,” Normani answered.

Selena nodded. “That’s expected,” she responded. “And her arm?” 

“She hasn’t said anything about it hurting since she came home with us,” Dinah answered. “And aside from the incident when Camila came over,” she added.

The older woman sighed. “We’re still so sorry about that,” she said. “Camila’s been grounded since then, and she received a, uh, punishment, so to speak,” she said vaguely.

“I meet Camz ‘gain?” Lauren questioned.

“You want to meet Camila again?” Selena asked. She looked over to the younger couple, who shrugged. “Well, I don’t see why not. But, she’s still grounded from pushing down the slide, so we’ll have to wait a few more days,” she explained.

The green eyed girl nodded. “‘Kay, want be fwiends,” she said decisively. 

Selena sent the girl a smile. She pull her stethoscope from around her neck. “Can I take a listen to your heart, Lauren?” she asked softly. “Just breathe in deeply like last time,” she said.

Lauren looked at her nervously, but nodded. Ally reached over and took her good hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Selena listened for few moments, instructing Lauren when to breathe, before winding her stethoscope around her neck once again. 

“Everything sounds good,” she noted. “Have you guys noticed any breathing issues with her?” she asked.

Normani shook her head. “No, no health issues, aside from a few nights ago she was running a fever and threw up once,” she replied.

The doctor frowned. “And she hasn’t been sick since?” she asked.

“No, it took a day for her fever to go away completely, but she hasn’t been sick since,” Dinah confirmed.

The older woman nodded. “Okay, just to be safe, I want to do a blood test,” she said. “Lauren has had illnesses go untreated before, and while I don’t think this is anything to worry about, I want to be sure,” she explained.

When Lauren saw the needle to be used, she whimpered, tears pooling in her eyes. “No, no p’ease,” she pleaded. “No ‘ike, no p’ease.”

Normani moved and picked the girl up, sitting on the exam table and settling the girl in her lap. “Lauren, it’s okay,” she soothed. “It will only last a few seconds, and it’s not going to hurt you,” she promised.

Lauren shook her head frantically. “No, no, no,” she begged. 

The dark skinned woman looked at the doctor apologetically. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Selena shook her head. “It’s understandable. Most kids don’t like getting shots, and Lauren’s had to be poked by needles before,” she explained. “Lauren, you know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, right?” she asked. 

“‘Es,” the girl answered. “No poke,” she said.

Ally, who had been watching quietly, interjected, “Lauren, do you remember how long a lion sleeps for?” 

Lauren sniffled, looking at the older girl. “Wen’y ‘ours,” she replied. “S’eep more dan DJ.”

The adults chuckled, though the blonde looked slightly offended. 

“That is a very interesting fact,” Selena replied. “What else do you know, Lauren?” she asked. While Lauren was thinking, the doctor quickly drew some blood, before placing a bandaid where the needle had been inserted..

“‘Ions biggest cats,” the girl answered. “‘Cept for tigers.”

“I didn’t know that,” Selena said. “You are very smart, Lauren.”

“Ally telled me, on phone,” the green eyed girl explained. 

The black haired woman smiled. “Well that was very nice of her,” she replied. “And look, we’re all done!” she exclaimed.

Lauren blinked. “Done?” she questioned. 

“Yep. You were very good for me today, Lauren,” the doctor praised. “Next time, I think we’ll be able to take this cast off,” she noted. “I’ll have the lab run the blood tests, but like I said, they should come back fine.”

“And everything else is okay. Her cuts are healing well?” Dinah asked.

“Yeah, they’re healing just fine,” the older woman answered. “And I have seen improvement in her weight since the last time she was here, which is a good sign,” she added. “I’ll call you with the lab results once they're in. It’ll be a few hours, the lab is backed up.”

Normani nodded. “Thanks, Sel,” she said gratefully. “And you’re sure everything will come back fine?” she questioned.

“Positive. It’s just to err on the side of caution,” she assured. “We’ll schedule another appointment for two weeks’ time, and then hopefully we can get that cast off,” she said.

“And maybe we can have Camila over again some time soon,” Dinah replied. 

“I’m sure Camila would like that,” the doctor responded. “She’s learned her lesson about pushing others down slides, so I doubt we’ll have to worry about that. Just call Demi or myself and we’ll get it figured out.”

Normani nodded. “Sounds good,” she agreed. She stood up, setting Lauren on the ground and taking her hand. “Ready to go, Lauren? I hear we have somewhere special to be right about now,” she said.

The four year old looked up confusedly. “Where we go?” she asked.

The dark skinned woman smiled. “You’ll see,” she replied.

Selena watched them, intrigued, then met Dinah’s eye, who mouthed ‘zoo’ to her. “Well it sounds like you guys have fun plans for the day,” the doctor said. “It was great seeing you again, Lauren. Hopefully next time we meet won’t be here in this boring place,” she joked.

Lauren smiled. “‘Ike seeing ‘ou too, ‘Lena,” she said.

The older woman smiled, before turning to Ally. “And you, Miss Allyson, better watch over her and make sure she doesn’t cause any trouble,” she teased.

“I will, Auntie Sel,” the seven year old promised. “Except, I don’t think Lauren causes trouble.”

“Well, you both better not cause any trouble,” the doctor warned.

“I doubt you can stop that,” Dinah deadpanned. “Especially when you add Camila to the mix.”

Selena laughed. “That’s true, who knows what those three could get into,” she agreed. “Alright, well it sounds like you guys have a busy day planned, so you should probably get going,” she said, walking over to open the door. “I will call you when I get the test results,” she promised.

The adults exchanged goodbyes before the couple led the two girls out to the car. 

They had survived the doctor’s visit, now they could have their afternoon of fun.


	13. Chapter 13

“Mani, where we go?” Lauren asked as she watched the older woman place snacks and drinks (and a few extra pull ups, which caused the girl to blush a bit) into a backpack while she finished her lunch. 

They had returned to the house after Lauren’s appointment at the hospital as it was nearing noon. Dinah and Normani thought it would be better to eat lunch before going to the zoo.

Normani sent the girl a wide grin. “I can’t tell you just yet, sweets,” she replied.

Lauren frowned, pouting. “‘ow comes?” she inquired.

“It’s a surprise!” Ally yelled as she ran into the kitchen. She sent the younger girl an apologetic look after she realized just how loud she had been. “Sorry, Lauren. I’m just really excited! It’s a surprise though, but you’re going to love it, I just know!” she explained enthusiastically.

The green eyed girl nodded, turning back to finish her apple slices. “I done,” she said after she had cleaned her plate.

“Good job, Lo,” Dinah praised as she entered the kitchen. “Do you need to use the potty or change your pull up before we go?” she asked.

Lauren looked away embarrassedly “‘es,” she whispered, sliding off the chair and grabbing the blonde’s outstretched hand.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed, Lauren,” Dinah assured softly. “It’s okay to use the pull up if you can’t make it to the bathroom in time. That’s why we got them for you.”

The tiny girl nodded, walking into the bathroom. Dinah quickly helped her change into a fresh pull up, before leaving the girl to use the bathroom in privacy.

Lauren took a moment to think about her time living with the couple. It had been about two weeks since she had first come home with them, and since then she hadn’t ever been yelled at or hit or anything bad (aside from that incident with Camila, but she had gotten over that really; Ally had even gone down the slide with her a few times once Normani and Dinah had let them back in the playroom). She always got food, even when it wasn’t time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. She always got to sleep in a warm, comfortable bed with her Nala, and sometimes Ally snuck into her room to cuddle during the night - never without asking though, it was usually when Lauren woke up in the night to go to the bathroom. She was safe and comfortable, and most of all, she was happy. 

She loved staying with Mani, DJ, and Ally. They were nice and they watched movies with her, and they didn’t make fun of her or yell at her when she had to use her pull up because she couldn’t get to the bathroom on time. She loved that they cared enough to decorate an entire room for her; the Bradys never bothered to that for her. She didn’t even have covers on her bed there! She just had a thin blanket and spent most nights freezing. 

She loved living with Mani and DJ, and she really hoped she wouldn’t have to leave any time soon.

“You okay in there, Lauren?” Dinah called from outside.

Lauren shook her head, breaking her train of thought. “‘Es, I ‘kay,” she replied, washing her hands. She made her way out of the bathroom and followed the blonde down to the living room. 

“Everyone good to go?” Normani asked.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Ally chanted, buzzing with excitement.

“Ally, calm down or we’re not going anywhere,” Dinah warned, causing the girl to settle down immediately. “Okay, did you go to the bathroom?” she asked her daughter.

“Yes, mama,” the seven year old answered.

“Okay, and Lauren just went,” Normani said. “And I’ve got the bag with everything we’ll need,” she added, holding up the backpack. “Anything else?” 

Dinah thought for a moment, before shaking her head. “Nope, I think we’re good.”

The older woman nodded, leading the girls out to the car, while Dinah locked up the house.

“Where we go?” Lauren asked as Normani buckled her into her carseat.

“You’ll see, but you’ll have a lot of fun,” the dark skinned woman promised.

Lauren nodded, though she was still confused, but didn't question it any further. Normani walked around to the driver’s side of the car and Dinah got into the passenger side after checking that Ally had gotten her car seat buckled, and then Normani started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

The doctor’s visit had taken a lot out of Lauren, or at least Dinah figured, because after a few minutes she heard Ally whine, “Aww, Lauren fell asleep.”

The blonde chuckled, turning to see the four year old had indeed fallen asleep. “It’s probably best she naps a bit now, baby. It’ll be a little bit before we get there, why don’t you try and sleep a little, too?” she suggested.

Ally pouted, but leaned her head against the window. “Okay, mama,” she responded. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, too.

“You think Lauren will be okay?” Normani asked quietly. “It’s going to be really loud, with kids screaming and parents trying to control their kids. And you know how she is with shouting and loud noises,” she explained.

The blonde nodded, placing her hand on the center console for her wife to take. “I know, but I think it’ll be okay,” she replied. “We can assure Lauren that it’s not anything bad. And, if it gets to be too much we can always leave. Plus, it’s the middle of the day on a Wednesday, how busy could it really be?” she reasoned. “And yes, I know it’s summer and all, but people still have to work,” she added before the older woman could argue.

“Fair enough,” Normani conceded. “But if Lauren even shows the slightest hint of being uncomfortable, we’re leaving,” she stated in a tone that left no room for arguing.

“Yes, ma’am,” Dinah replied, earning an eye roll from her wife.

They spent the rest of the drive in comfortable silence, with Dinah occasionally singing along to the radio.

Ally slowly blinked her eyes open, looking at her mommies. “Are we there?” she asked in a sleepy voice.

Normani turned to face the girl. “Yeah, we’re there,” she replied with a smile.

Ally grinned, gently shaking Lauren. “Lauren! You gotta wake up! We’re here!” she exclaimed.

“No, ‘top, s’eepy,” the younger girl whined, not liking being disturbed.

Dinah chuckled as she unbuckled the girl. “You’re going to miss out on the surprise though!” she said with an exaggerated gasp.

Lauren perked up, her green eyes looking up to the blonde. “‘Prise?” she inquired.

“Yep, a surprise,” Dinah confirmed. 

“Come on, let DJ help you out of the car and take her hand,” Normani said as she helped Ally climb down.

Lauren held her arms out to Dinah, who lifted the girl up and gently set her on the ground, grabbing the backpack and slinging it onto her shoulders.

Lauren looked around curiously, gasping when she saw the sign decorated with animals. She looked up at the couple. “‘Ions?” she asked hopefully.

The women laughed. 

“Yes, there will be lions,” Dinah answered. She kneeled down to Lauren’s height, holding the girl gently by her shoulders. “Lauren, before we go, we need to talk to you about something,” she started.

The tiny girl looked at her nervously. “I bad?” she asked quietly.

The blonde shook her head furiously. “You didn't do anything bad,” she assured. “But, it’s going to be really loud, and lots of shouting might happen,” she started. “And we need you to know that it’s not anything bad, okay? Kids are just really excited and parents are just making sure their kids stay near them and out of trouble. There’s nothing to worry about, okay?” she asked.

“And, if it gets to be too much and you want to leave, just tell us,” Normani added. “You have to tell us though, alright?”

Lauren nodded. “I telled you, pwomise,” she replied, looking between the two adults.

Dinah nodded, standing and taking the girl’s hand. “Alright, let’s go,” she said with smile. “I heard there’s a little one wanting to see the lions,” she said.

“And penguins! Mama, you can’t forget the penguins!” Ally exclaimed, offended her mama would dare to forget the penguins.

The blonde playfully rolled her eyes. She turned to her daughter with a mock look of horror. “How could I forget the penguins?!” she questioned. “Can you ever forgive me, Miss Allyson?” she implored teasingly.

Ally nodded vigorously, running to throw herself into her mama’s arms. “Yes, mama! But we have to see the penguins!” she answered.

Dinah chuckled, lifting the girl up and peppering her cheeks with kisses. “Thank you, baby. I’ll make sure we see the penguins,” she promised, setting the girl on the ground and taking Lauren’s hand again. “Now come on, it’s time to see the penguins and the lions.”

The girls squealed in excitement, and followed the adults to the ticket line. Normani purchased the tickets, and soon enough the four walking in through the front gates.

Lauren tightened her grip on Dinah’s hand and clung closely to the woman’s leg seeing all the people in the zoo. It wasn’t as busy as it normally was, but there was still quite a large number of groups and families.

“It’s okay, Lauren,” Dinah assured, lifting the girl up onto her hip. “Just remember, if you want to leave, we will,” she promised. “Are you okay right now?” she asked.

Lauren nodded, looking around. No one seemed upset, and while kids were screaming, it wasn’t because anything bad was happening. “I ‘kay,” she answered. “‘Ions?” she requested.

“Penguins!” Ally argued.

Normani looked at the zoo map. “Well, let’s start with the Australian exhibit, and then we’ll go from there, and we’ll save the penguins and lions for last,” she said.

“Okay, mommy!” Ally agreed, Lauren nodding, too.

The Australian exhibit was small, only having a few animals. The girls weren’t too fond of the cassowary birds or the ibis, but they really like the tree kangaroos and the singing dog.

“They’re so cute!” Ally squealed as she watched the dogs running around.

The adults chuckled at the girl’s amusement, and smiled as they watched Lauren staring in fascination at the animals.

“Lauren, have you ever been to the zoo before?” Normani asked.

The four year old shook her head. “‘To been ‘fore,” she said.

They spent a little more time looking at the singing dogs before moving on to the Asian animals exhibit. They stayed away from the reptiles (both girl found the snakes to be scary, Lauren especially) and preferred to look at the orangutans (“‘not cute,” Lauren had said. “Don’t Camila that! She loves them!” Ally warned) and the elephants (“Mommy! Mama! I wanna ride one someday!” (‘at ‘ounds ‘ary, Awwy.”) They also saw the tigers, which both fascinated and scared Lauren, because they were so big! And they spent quite a while watching the otters play in the water.

Finally, they made it to the African exhibit. “Mama! The penguins!” Ally cired, taking the blonde’s hand and dragging her over to the African penguins.

Normani rolled her eyes at her daughter’s impatience, before turning to look at Lauren, who was slightly squirming in her spot.

“Are you okay?” the dark skinned woman asked concernedly.

Lauren blushed, looking down. “‘Etted pull up,” she mumbled embarrassedly.

Normani nodded. “Okay, that’s alright. We’ll get it taken care of,” she assured. She hoisted Lauren up onto her hip, walking over to the other two. “I’m taking Lauren to the restroom,” she murmured quietly to her wife, who nodded. “Ally, do you need to use the restroom?” she asked.

The girl thought for a moment. “We can come back to the penguins?” she asked.

Dinah rolled her eyes, but nodded. “Yes, we’ll come back to the penguins,” she promised.

Ally nodded, and followed the couple to the bathrooms. After they had changed Lauren’s pull up and everyone was ready, they made their way back to the African penguins.

“Look at them swim!” Ally said, tapping Lauren’s shoulder and pointing to where some were jumping into the pool of water. “Penguins can’t fly, did you know that?” she asked the younger girl.

Lauren shook her head. “‘Ow comes?” she asked.

“They’re wings are meant for swimming really fast,” the seven year old answered. “That’s all I know though.”

Lauren nodded, turning back to watch the birds, seemingly satisfied with the older girl’s answer. They watched the birds swim for quite awhile, before Dinah spoke up, “Do you guys still want to see the lions?” she asked.

Lauren turned and nodded vigorously. “‘Ions!’ ‘ions!” she cheered.

“We can see the lions, mama,” Ally agreed. “I got to see the penguins, so Lauren can see the lions now.”

They walked over to the lion exhibit, and saw most of them were asleep.

“S’eep lots, ‘ike DJ,” Lauren said.

The blonde rolled her eyes, though they held a playful glint. “I just like sleep, let me live,” she muttered, no malice in her tone.

Normani laughed, hearing her wife’s comment. “Come on, D, you know they’re just teasing,” she reasoned.

“Hmm, I’m not so sure about Ally,” the blonde remarked.

“They’re so big!” Ally exclaimed. “They look so soft, I wanna pet one,” she added. “But I don’t want it to eat me.”

“No eat,” Lauren agreed. “T’ey cute, but no ‘ant eat.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that,” Normani assured. 

They spent a bit more time watching the lions before Ally asked, “Can we feed giraffes?”

“You do t’at?” the green eyed girl questioned.

“Yes, you can,” Dinah confirmed. “How about we do that, and then go get dinner before going home?” she suggested, seeing it was getting near dinner time and they had been at the zoo for a while now.

The two girls agreed, and they ventured over to the giraffes. They climbed the tower, seeing some families already up there.

Lauren whimpered a bit at the close quarters, holding on tightly to Normani’s hand.

“It’s alright, sweets,” the older woman assured. “But if you want to leave we can,” she said.

The green eyed girl shook her head. “”Tay,” she replied quietly.

Dinah bought a handful of pellets from the machine, and split it between the two girls. Each woman then lifted the girls up so they could see above the rail, and waited for the giraffes to come to them.

Lauren almost dropped the pellets in her hand when the giraffe’s tongue touched her palm.

“It ‘eird!” the girl exclaimed, laughing at the odd feeling. 

Ally laughed, nodding in agreement.

They finished up with the pellets, and washed their hands before climbing down from the tower.

Ally stopped Dinah as they neared the front entrance and whispered in the blonde’s ear, causing the older woman to smile. She in turn murmured something to Normani, who nodded, while Lauren watched confusedly as Dinah and Ally disappeared. They returned a few minutes with two bags. 

“Here, Lauren,” Ally said, handing one of the bags to the younger girl.

Lauren squealed as she pulled a stuffed lion out. “T’ank you, t’ank you, Awwy and DJ,” she exclaimed, hugging the two.

“Alright, so dinner then home?” Dinah said.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and the four made their way out of the park.

A little bit later, they made it to Red Robin’s and were seated.

“Hi guys! I’m Kelsea and I’ll be your server tonight,” a perky blonde with a noticeable southern accent greeted them. “What can I get you to drink?” she asked.

“Two cokes for us, and two apple juices, please,” Dinah answered.

“Alrighty, I’ll be right back,” Kelsea said, giving them a smile before walking away.

“Alright kiddos, what do you want to eat?” Normani asked.

“Chicken strips, mommy,” Ally answered.

“‘Trips, p’ease,” Lauren requested.

“You sure?” Dinah questioned. “You can get something else if you want.”

The four year old shook her head. “‘Ure,” she replied.

The waitress returned a few minutes later, handing out the requested drinks. “Okay, are you guys ready to order or do you need another minute?” 

“No, we’re ready,” Normani said. “We’ll take two gourmet cheeseburgers, and two of the kids chicken strips, please.”

Kelsea nodded, writing down the order. “Alright, coming right up.” She walked off to place their order.

The couple sat in silence listening to the girls animatedly recount the trip to the zoo (“I still wanna ride an elephant one day,” Ally mumbled, making Lauren giggle) while they waited for their food.

They all ate peacefully, the adults talking about work (and that was going to be fun to approach once they had to get back to the office) while the girls ate quietly. Once they were done, the women ordered milkshakes for the girls as ‘a treat for being so good at the doctors” according to Dinah, a chocolate one for Ally and a vanilla one for Lauren.

While they waited, a patron a few tables over shouted, “What the fuck is taking so long?!”

“It’s pretty busy tonight, the cooks are going as fast as they can,” a server explained. “If you would just wait calmly, your food should be out soon.”

“We’ve been waiting for twenty fucking minutes!” the man yelled angrily.

Lauren flinched at the shouts, covering her ears with her hands (or trying to, her cast was causing an issue). Tears welled up in her eyes, and her breathing started getting shorter and more ragged.

“Lauren, sweetheart, calm down,” Dinah said, moving to kneel in front of the girl. “He’s not going to hurt you,” she promised.

Lauren shook her head, leaning onto the table. It was getting harder to breathe, and she couldn’t calm herself down.

Normani stood, grabbing the girl from her seat. “Stay here with Ally, I’ll take Lauren outside,” she said, seeing her wife nod before rushing outside.

The dark skinned woman made her way out to their car, opening the front seat and sitting in the seat, turning Lauren to face her. “Copy my breathing, sweats,” she said softly, taking in a deep breath and slowly exhaling. “You’re safe, Lauren. You’re with Dinah, Ally and I. You’re safe and no one is going to hurt you. Not anymore,” she soothed, still breathing exaggeratedly for the girl to copy.

Eventually, Lauren calmed down, her sobs turning into small whimpers as she buried her face into Normani’s neck.

“You’re safe, Lauren. You’re okay, you’re safe,” the older woman murmured softly. “You’re safe, and we just had a fun day at the zoo, that Ally and Dinah planned. And we just finished dinner,” she recounted. “You’re safe, and you’re not going to be hurt ever again.”

The passenger side door opened slowly, and Dinah stood looking at the two concernedly, Ally holding tightly to her leg. “Is she okay?”

Normani nodded. “Yeah, she’s a lot more calm now.”

“Mommy, why was Lauren upset?” 

“Because, at Lauren’s old home, shouting meant bad things. That’s why loud noises scare her, baby,” Normani explained sadly. 

“And the angry man scared Lauren?” Ally prodded. She gasped in realization. “Did Lauren think she was gonna get hurt?” 

“Yeah, baby,” Dinah answered quietly. “But it’s okay, because she’s with us and she’s not ever going to get hurt again,” she assured. 

Lauren looked up, sniffling and wiping away a few tears. She reached out to Dinah, the blonde lifting her up. She placed a kiss on the woman’s cheek. “T’ank you ‘or zoo,” she said, before wiggling to be set down to do the same to Ally. She motioned to Normani to be picked up again, hugging the woman’s neck. “‘Ome?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, we can go home,” the dark skinned woman agreed, buckling the girl into her carseat, Dinah helping Ally do the same.

“Our server gave us the girls’ drinks to go,” the blonde explained, setting two cups into the cup holders. “She was a little concerned about Lauren, but I assured her everything was fine.”

“That guy was an asshole,” Normani muttered angrily.

“Agreed, but let’s just get home and get the girls to bed. I don’t think Lauren’s going to make it home without falling asleep.”

The drive back to the house was made in silence, both girls falling asleep easily after the eventful day. The couple carried the girls inside and up to their rooms, Dinah stopping to put the ice cream in the freezer, before changing them into their pajamas. 

Normani carried Lauren down the hall towards the master bedroom, stopping to check on Dinah and Ally in their daughter’s room. “Hey, I think it’ll be best to let Lauren stay with us tonight, want to bring Ally to our room?”

Dinah nodded, carrying the girl to their bedroom. They situated the girls in the middle of the bed, Lauren clutching her new stuffed tiger and Ally the stuffed penguin she got, before getting ready for bed themselves. Finally, they climbed into bed on both sides of the girls.

“Night, mommies,” Ally mumbled sleepily as she curled into Dinah’s side.

“‘Ight, Mani ‘n’ DJ,” Lauren murmured, clinging to Normani.

“Night little ones,” Dinah replied, earning a grunt from Ally before the girl drifted off completely. “Night, babe,” she said, leaning to press kiss to her wife’s lips.

“Love you,” Normani replied, returning the kiss. 

They settled into bed and soon enough all four were sleeping peacefully.


	14. Chapter 14

It had been about two weeks since the trip to the zoo (and the slightly disastrous dinner afterwards). Currently, Normani and Lauren were sat in an exam room at the hospital, the girl hiding her face in Normani’s shoulder as Selena and another doctor removed her cast. Dinah and Ally were at home since Demi was bringing Camila over for a sleepover (assuming everything went well).

“Alright, all done, Lauren,” the doctor stated as they finished. “You can look now, if you want,” she encouraged.

The four year old lifted her head, looking down at her now cast-free arm. She wiggled her finger and giggled, looking up at the older woman. Mani, ‘ook! ‘Ingers fwee!” She wiggled them even more.

Normani chuckled, shaking her head amusedly. “I see that, sweets.”

A pager beeped, and the other doctors looked down at it. “I’ve gotta go, another patient needs me,” she said. “You, little missy, keep out of trouble so you don’t hurt your hand again, got it?” she asked.

Lauren nodded furiously. “‘ot it!”

“Thank you, Blake,” Selena called as the other doctor left. “Alright, so everything looks good. And I apologize for not getting her labs back from the last time, but they came back all clear, just like I thought they would,” she said to Normani.

“We figured it was pretty busy,” the younger woman replied. “If Lauren had gotten sick again we would have asked, but she’s been fine ever since.”

“I ‘etter?” Lauren asked hopefully.

The doctor turned to her with a grin. “Yep, you’re all better. Now I don’t want to see you here again, so stay out of trouble, young lady,” she ordered.

“No ‘wouble!” the four year old agreed.

“I think it’s time you get out of here than,” Selena responded. She looked up to Normani. “And you’re sure it’s no problem for Mila to come over?”

“I think we can all agree her exile from our house has lasted long enough,” the dark skinned woman joked. “It’s no problem. Ally’s been excited ever since we told her Mila was coming over, and Lauren has been wanting to try meeting her again.”

“Want be fwiends!”

The older woman chuckled, looking down at the girl. “Well, lucky for you Demi is dropping Camila off at Mani and DJ’s house any minute now.”

“Yay! Meet Camz ‘gain!” the green eyed girl cheered.

“She’s also bringing Lauren a gift,” the doctor murmured quietly to Normani. “An apology gift for what she did. We didn’t tell her to, she decided on her own. It’s actually a pretty good idea, but Dinah’s going to hate it.”

Normani raised an eyebrow. “Why would she hate it?”

“You’ll see. But she’s going to hate it.”

\---------

“DJ, Awwy, we ‘ome!” Lauren exclaimed as she ran into the living where the two were sitting with Demi and Camila, Normani following behind her. “‘Ook! ‘Ingers fwee!” She wiggled her fingers on her now free hand 

“I see that, sweets,” Dinah replied, chuckling. “Can I pick you up?”

Lauren nodded, holding her arms out.

The blonde lifted the girl up onto her hip, turning to her wife. “How did it go?” she asked, pecking the older woman’s cheek.

“It went pretty good. Obviously Lauren got her cast off. And nothing is out of the ordinary, so unless she’s really sick or hurt, we shouldn’t have to go back for while.”

Lauren squirmed in the blonde’s hold. “Want ‘own,” she mumbled. Once she was on the floor, she ran over to Demi. “‘emi!” she greeted happily, hugging the social worker.

“Hiya, sweetheart,” the older woman greeted. 

“Oh, I see, ditch me for her,” Dinah grumbled lightheartedly. “I see how it is, Lauren.”

Demi rolled her eyes, setting the girl back on the floor. She turned to where her daughter and Ally were sitting on the couch. “Mila? Did you want to say hi?”

The little brunette nodded, crawling off the couch, carrying a gift bag with her. “I’m sorry I pushed you when I was here,” she said nervously. “And I got this for you,” she added, holding out the bag for the other girl.

Lauren took it confusedly, not sure why Camila would get her something. She looked in the bag, pulling out a Simba figure. “‘At it?” she asked.

“It’s a piggy bank,” Camila answered excitedly. “I have one, too! Not a Simba one, though. But whenever my mommy and mamí say bad things, they give me a quarter to put in it,” she explained, showing Lauren where the coins go.

“Well, shit, now I really need to watch what I say,” Dinah mumbled. She felt a tug on her arm, and looked to see Lauren looking at her expectantly. She rolled her eyes. “I’ll get you one later, Lo, promise,” she said begrudgingly.

Normani laughed at the exchange. “Selena was right, Dinah is going to hate this gift.”

“This idea fucking sucks.”

Lauren tugged on her arm again.

“Oh my god, this kid is going to be rich,” Demi stated, smirking at the blonde.

“Wait, Lauren! There’s more in the bag!” Camila exclaimed, startling the girl. “Oh, no, no, I’m sorry,” she fretted. “I forgot you don’t like loud noises. I’m sorry!”

Lauren took a deep breath, calming herself. “It o’kay,” she whispered. “It o’ay, you no ‘urt.”

The brunette let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, good, I didn’t want you mad at me,” she said. “Okay, open the rest now,” she urged, motioning to the bag.

Lauren reached into it again, feeling soft material. Curious, she pulled it out, revealing a blanket, white with little stars all over it. In one corner  _ Lauren _ was embroidered into it. “It pwetty,” she murmured, rubbing it over her face. She looked to the other girl, smiling. “T’ank you, Camz.”

The other four year old shifted nervously. “Is it okay if I hug you?” she asked. 

When Lauren nodded, Camila quickly wrapped the girl in a tight hug. “I’m sorry I pushed you. I hope you can forgive me. I want to be friends.”

The green eyed girl pulled away, nodding. “Camz fwiend!” she agreed.

“Lauren, why don’t you give me your new blanket so it doesn’t get ruined, and then you three go play,” Dinah said, holding her hand out. 

“Can we go in the playroom?” Ally asked.

“Yes, but any roughhousing and you won’t be allowed in,” Normani replied.

“Mila, remember what we talked about?” Demi questioned. 

“No pushing, mommy,” Camila answered. “‘Ecially near the slide.”

The social worker smiled, kissing the girl’s forehead. “Good girl. I’m going to be leaving soon, okay? Mamí and I will be back tomorrow.”

“Okay, mommy,” Camila replied, hugging the older woman. “Love you, mommy.”

“I love you too, baby. Be good for Aunt Mani and Aunt DJ,” she said, letting the girl go.

The three ran off down to the play room.

Demi turned to the couple. “So, I’ve been working on helping you guys adopt Lauren,” she started. “But, I think it would be best if I gave her case to someone else.”

“What? Why?” Dinah questioned, puzzled.

“I don’t think it would happen, but I don’t want you guys being denied because of a conflict of interests,” the older woman explained. “But don’t worry, I’m having a trusted co-worker take over. Nick is really good, with both kids and swaying over judges.”

Normani nodded. “Is there anything we need to do?”

“He’s going to want to meet you guys and go over everything, but other than that you should be okay. I’ll call you guys later to set up a day to do that.”

The dark skinned woman nodded. “Thanks, Demi. We really appreciate this.”

“I should be saying that to you,” the social worker remarked. “This is the happiest I’ve seen Lauren in a long time.”

“She deserves to be safe and happy,” Dinah replied, shrugging. “Every kid does. We’re just happy to be the ones to provide that for her.”

\--------

“It ‘uper Nala!” Lauren cheered as she ran around the playroom with the stuffed lion held in the air.

Camila ran over to the play structure, various stuffed animals at the top, with a toy firetruck. “We gots to save the toys!” 

Ally joined her with a wagon. “Lauren come on, we gotta save the toys from the fire!” she said.

“An’ Nala ‘elp?”

“Yeah, Nala can help, too. Now come on!” Camila replied.

The green eyed girl nodded, and she joined the other two, her at the bottom, the other two on top of the structure. They quickly pulled out the toys, sending them down the slide to Lauren, who put them in the wagon. When the last toy was sent down, Ally and Camila quickly went down the slide. Ally grabbed the wagon and pulled it as Camila grabbed the fire truck, running away, Lauren following them.

Ally knocked over a block tower, making crashing sounds.

“Yay we did it!” Camila exclaimed. “We saved the toys!”

“‘Aveded toys!”  Lauren cheered. 

“What on earth are you guys doing?” Dinah asked as she and Normani entered the playroom, taking in the mess.

“Playing firefighters!” Ally and Camila answered.

“‘It’ ‘uper Nala!” Lauren added.

“Yeah, with super Nala!” the other two agreed.

“We saved the toys from the fire!” the brunette explained, pointing to the toys in the wagon.

“Well, my little firefighters, why don’t you guys clean up this mess,” Normani said. “There’s pizza waiting in the kitchen,” she added.

“Pizza!” Ally and Camila shouted.

Lauren closed her eyes for a second, before letting out a breath. “Eat ‘izza?” she asked.

Dinah nodded. “Clean up and then wash your hands, then we’ll eat.”

After the three did as told, they were seated at the table, Ally and Camila bouncing excitedly in their seats.

“Settle down, you two,” Normani scolded, rolling her eyes. 

“But mommy, we never have pizza,” the seven year old whined. “We’re just excited.”

“Yes, but if you don’t settle down then we won’t be having ice cream and watching a movie afterwards,” Dinah stated.

The two immediately sat still, waiting for their plates. 

Lauren just watched silently. When Normani sat a plate and a cup of juice in front of her, she smiled. “T’ank you, Mani.”

“You’re welcome, sweets.”

“Thanks mommy, thanks mama for pizza.”

“Yeah, thank you Auntie Mani and Auntie DJ.”

Once everyone had their plates, they ate contently, the women talking quietly while the girls (specifically Ally and Camila) stuffed their mouths with pizza.

After they were all done, Dinah went to the freezer and grabbed the ice cream while Normani grabbed bowls and spoons.

They dished out small scoops into the bowls, handing them to each of the girls. Once they were done with that, they got the three into pajamas and ready for bed. They moved into the living room, the three girls sitting on one couch, while Dinah went to sit on the other one as Normani moved to the DVD player, putting in a movie.

“Lilo and Stitch!” the girls cheered. 

The older woman smiled, going to sit with Dinah on the other couch. 

By the  end of the movie, the two younger ones were passed out, and Ally wasn’t far behind. 

The couple stood up, walking over to the other couch. Dinah picked Lauren up, grabbing the blanket Camila had given her, as Normani picked up the other four year old.

“Come on, Ally,” the blonde murmured softly. “Let’s get you three to bed,” she said, taking the girl’s hand and leading her to the play room.

Normani tucked the younger ones into the bottom bunk, while Dinah made sure Ally got up onto the top bunk okay.

“Night, mommies, love you,” Ally whispered before falling asleep completely.

The women smiled, walking out of the room after making sure the baby monitor was on.

\----------------

“I”m gonna go get mama and mommy,” Normani heard coming from the baby monitor as she woke up. Frowning, she turned to wake Dinah up. “D, I think something’s wrong downstairs.”

“What?” the blonde mumbled, not fully awake.

Suddenly cries were heard over the monitor, ones similar to Lauren’s.

The two slipped out of bed, hurrying downstairs. They saw Ally running down the hallway, the girl stopping when she saw the two women. 

“Lauren, she-she’s crying, but, but she won’t wake up,” the seven year old stammered, tears in her eyes.

Dinah picked the girl up, rubbing her back soothingly. “Go,” she mouthed to the older woman, motioning to the playroom.

Normani nodded, running into the room.

Lauren was on the bed, tossing and turning on the bed, whimpers and the occasional sob escaping her. 

“Camila, sweetheart,” Normani called, seeing the girl worriedly standing at the edge of the bed. “Go outside with Dinah and Ally, okay? I’ll take care of Lauren,” she assured.

The brunette nodded, running out of the room.

The dark skinned woman sat carefully on the edge of the bed. “Lauren? Lauren, sweets, wake up,” she murmured softly. 

The girl continued to toss and turn, whimpering. “No, p’ease,” she choked out between sobs. “No ‘urt,” she begged.

Normani swore under her breath. Lauren was having a nightmare, and if she didn’t wake up soon, the older woman was concerned about her having a full blown panic attack.

“Lauren, sweetheart, I need you to wake up,” she said, carefully laying a hand on the girl’s foot.

Lauren cried out, sitting straight up and backing up against the wall. She breathed in and out quickly, her eyes wide as she looked around the room. Spotting Normani, she flung herself into the woman’s arms. “No want ‘urt, mommy!” she cried, hding her face in Normani’s shoudler.

Normani froze in shock, before hearing a surprised gasp from the doorway.

“She called you mommy?” Dinah asked, tears in her eyes.

The older woman nodded, blinking back tears. “Yeah, she did.” She looked down at the girl in her arms. “Lauren, baby, it’s okay,” she soothed, rubbing the girl’s back. “Shh, it’s okay, you’re alright. No one is going to hurt. Dinah and I are here to make sure of it.”

The blonde came to sit next to the two. “No one is going to hurt you ever again, Lauren,” she promised. 

Eventually, Lauren’s sobs died down, and she eventually fell asleep.

“Her pull up’s soaked,” Normani murmured. “Where are the other two?”

“In our bed,” Dinah answered, running her hand over the tiny girl’s back. “I figured after this it’d be best for them to stay with us for the rest of the night.”

The older woman sighed. “Yeah, that’s fine,” she agreed. 

“Let’s go get her changed,” the blonde said, motioning to Lauren. “And then get back to bed. I think tomorrow we’ll let them sleep in later.”

They stood, walking out of the room and back upstairs. Normani stopped in Lauren’s room, quickly changing the girl’s pull up. When she walked into the master bedroom, she set the girl in the middle, next to Camila, who was curled up with Ally. She tucked Lauren under the covers, and Dinah placed the girl’s blanket and Nala next to her, the four year old immediately pulling the items close. 

The two women got into bed on either side of the three.

“Should I be jealous she called you ‘mommy’ first?” Dinah teased tiredly.

Normani rolled her eyes. “Let’s see if she does it again tomorrow,” she replied. “It could have been one of the ‘heat of the moment’ things,” she reasoned.

Lauren whined, turning to curl into Normani.

Dinah smiled, looking at the two lovingly. “Nah, I think she’s just a mommy’s girl.”

The two watched over the three girls between them, before sleep eventually took over them.

 


	15. Chapter 15

Lauren woke up to the feeling of someone of crushing her in a hug and extremely warm. She tensed, because it didn’t feel like Normani’s firm but gentle hold, but more like this person was clutching onto her as close as physically possible, like koala. She shifted, trying to break out of the grip, but the person just held on tighter. Letting out a whine, Lauren opened her eyes to see it was Camila who had her in the tight hold. The green eyed girl grumbled, struggling to get the other girl off of her.

“Need some help, Lo?” Dinah’s sleepy voice asked amusedly.

Lauren nodded, wiggling in Camila’s grasp. “P’ease?”

The blonde sat up, reaching over the other two sleeping girl’s and gently pried Camila’s arms from around Lauren’s waist.

Camila, whining slightly, turned and cuddled up to Ally, who happily snuggled closely with the younger girl.

Dinah shook her head, laughing quietly. “Come on, sweets,” she said, picking Lauren up and setting her on the floor. “Let’s go make breakfast for everyone, yeah?” 

The four year old nodded, taking the older woman’s hand and letting herself be led downstairs. “Camz ‘ug too much,” she mumbled as the.

The blonde smirked. “She’s like a koala. But once you get used to it it’s not too bad,” she assured as she lifted Lauren up onto the counter. “What do you think about pancakes this morning?” 

Lauren nodded excitedly. “I ‘elp?”

“Of course.” Dinah smiled, then started grabbing everything she would need.

Carefully, she helped Lauren mix the pancake mix and water, and then assisted the girl in stirring the mix up.

“Alright, little one, thank you very much for your help,” Dinah said, kissing the girl’s cheek. “But now this part I can only do.” She took the mix over to the stove and, still keeping an eye on Lauren, pour some of the batter onto the pan. After she had a few ready, she turned the stove off and set the pan aside, taking the plate of pancakes over to Lauren. She turned to look into a cupboard, and pulled out a jar of Nutella and grabbed a butter knife, before looking at the girl once more.

“Want to know the best way of eating pancakes?”

Lauren nodded furiously, watching the older woman in fascination.

Dinah opened the jar, spreading the Nutella over a pancake. She tore off a piece and handed it to Lauren, who ate it quickly.

The girl’s green eyes widened at the taste. “It ‘ood!”

The blonde chuckled, and handed the rest of the pancake to the girl, who scarfed it down. As she made a second small pancake for Lauren, Dinah smirked mischievously. She quickly swiped some Nutella from the jar with her finger, and ran her finger across the girl’s cheek.

Lauren gasped, momentarily startled. She snated the jar and quickly retaliated, swiping her finger across Dinah’s face and leaving a trail of the spread across the blonde’s cheek and nose.

“‘Ook silly,” the girl said between giggles. 

“What are you two doing?” Normani asked, standing in the threshold of the kitchen with a raised eyebrow.

“DJ ‘arted it!” 

“Thanks for throwing me under the bus, Lo,” Dinah grumbled. She looked up at her wife sheepishly. “Morning, babe.”

Normani rolled her eyes. She walked over and grabbed a dish rag, soaking it with water. “Go sit at the table and wipe your faces off, you goobers,” she ordered. 

As Dinah carried the girl over to the table, the older woman finished making the pancakes.

“Are Ally and Mila still asleep?” 

“Yeah, I’ll wake them up when breakfast is done. I’m surprised you two are up.”

“Camz ‘ug too much when s’eepin’.”

The dark skinned woman laughed. “Well, that is true. She and Ally were still cuddled up when I came downstairs.”

Dinah smiled, those two would cuddle all day every day if they could. They were just cuddly girls. She looked to Lauren, who was shifting in her seat and seemed to want to say something.

“Lauren?” What’s up, sweets?”

The girl looked between the blonde and Normani, who had finished the pancakes and was watching the two with interest.

“Umm, I wan’ Mani be mommy. But, but DJ wan’ be mama?” the girl whispered, nervously looking at the two older women.

Dinah sat in shock, her jaw dropping slightly. “You want me to be your mama?” she questioned, tears pooling in her eyes.

Lauren nodded, looking at the blonde. “‘Es. Wan’ DJ be mama.”

“Can I hold you, Lauren?” At the girl’s nod, the blonde stood, rushing to pick the girl up, holding her close. “I would love to be your mama, baby girl,” she whispered, tears falling down her cheeks freely. She looked to her wife, who was also emotional. “And I’m sure Mani would love to be your mommy.”

The older woman walked over, pulling the two into a hug. “I would absolutely love to be your mommy, sweet girl,” she confirmed, smiling as she kissed the girl’s temple.

Lauren wiggled in Dinah’s arms, reaching for Normani. “Wan’ ‘ou be mommy an’ mama.”

“And we’re going to do everything in our power to make that happen,” Normani promised, looking to her wife, who nodded in agreement.

\------

“Mama! Mommy!” Ally called as she and the other two ran out of the playroom. “Can we please, please, please, please go swimming? Please?” she begged, giving the two adults her best puppy dog eyes. “Pretty please?” she repeated, drawing out the words.

The two women looked at each other, both shrugging.

“Sure, let’s go swimming,” Dinah replied. “Lauren’s finally got her cast off, so why not?”

Lauren looked at the blonde warily. “I no know ‘ow swim,” she admitted quietly, looking at the floor.

“That’s okay, we’ll teach you,” Normani assured.

When everyone had their bathing suits on, sunscreen had been applied, and the little ones all had their floaties, Dinah and Normani led them out to the pool gate.

“Okay, just remember, floaties stay on at all times, there’s no running around the edge of the pool, and stay in the shallow end,” the older woman instructed. “If any of those rules are broken, you’re all done swimming for the day, understood?”

The three girls nodded furiously, and the women opened the gate, letting them into the pool area. Ally and Camila headed straight for the steps and hurried into the pool, beginning to swim around and splash each other. Lauren, however, hovered near Dinah and Normani, slightly terrified of the water.

“It’s alright, Lo,” the blonde assured, setting towels on the table as Normani joined the other two girls. “We’ll go slow, okay?”

The four year old nodded, taking the older woman’s hand. Dinah stepped into the pool, and when was at the bottom step she turned back to Lauren. “See? Just take it a step at a time.” She smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be right here.”

Lauren nodded, and slowly moved onto the first step. When she got to the second one, she looked up fearfully at the blonde, because the water was really deep now. 

“It’s alright,” Dinah promised. 

“Just swim to mama like this!” Ally called, demonstrating how by swimming over to Normani.

“Yeah, Lolo!” Camila agreed, also demonstrating how to swim.

Lauren took a deep breath, then quickly jumped off the step and quickly doggy paddled to the blonde, doing her best to replicate what the other girls had shown her.

Dinah picked the girl up and spun her around in the air. “You did it, Lo!” she praised excitedly.

Lauren giggled, smiling proudly. “I ‘id it, mama! I ‘id it!”

“I see that, love bug,” Dinah replied, setting the girl back in the water.

Ally gasped behind them. “Mommy! Did you hear that? Lauren just called mama ‘mama’ like me!”

“I did, baby,” Normani answered, smiling at the girl. “Is that alright with you?” 

The seven year old looked pensive. “Does she want mama to be her mama?”

“She does.”

“And does Lauren want you to be her mommy?”

“I ‘o!” Lauren exclaimed happily from where she and Camila were on Dinah’s back as the blonde held an impromptu dance party (which looked absolutely ridiculous but she didn’t care, and neither did the two girls).

“And, and Lauren can be my sister?”

“We’re working on it, but yes,” Normani answered.

Ally squealed ecstatically, clinging to Normani. “I get a sister! We get to be a family!”

Normani laughed, hugging the girl back. She walked over to where Dinah was still having a dance party with the other two little ones, and the couple shared a smile. They couldn’t wait to have Lauren be an official member of their family. 

The group spent another hour in the pool, before the little ones were too tired to continue. And as the three girls napped on the couch, Dinah and Normani called Demi, scheduling a meeting with her co-worker.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Normani let Demi and her co-worker into the house, leading them to the living room where Dinah was sitting on the couch. Ally and Lauren were in the playroom watching a movie.

“Hey, guys,” Demi greeted, sending them a smile. “This is my co-worker, and he’s one the one who will be taking over Lauren’s case,” she explained, motioning to the man.

He held out a hand. “Nicholas Jonas, but please call me Nick,” he introduced himself, sending them both a charming smile. “So you guys are wanting to adopt Lauren?” 

Dinah nodded furiously, standing to shake the outstretched hand. “She’s a sweetheart, and she deserves a family that will love her and keep her safe.”

“We want to be that for her,” Normani added. “She’s only been with us for a month, but she’s a part of this family,” she stated, her wife nodding in agreement.

The older man smiled. “I know what you mean,” he agreed, having met the girl a few times. “I know Demi has already done it, but can I take a look around the house? I just want to make sure everything is up to standards and everything,” he explained.

“Yeah, come on, I’ll show you around,” the dark skinned woman agreed, leading him off.

“So, how are things going?” Demi asked as she and Dinah sat on the couch. 

“Well, she calls us mama and mommy now,” the younger woman started.

The social worker’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

The blonde hummed in confirmation. “Yeah. She called Normani ‘mommy’ first after a nightmare when Camila was over.”

“Yeah, Mila was telling us about that.”

“The girls were a little freaked out because they didn’t know what to do, Lauren’s never had one that bad before,” Dinah replied, sighing. “But Normani calmed her down, and Lauren just let it slip. But then in the morning she asked us if we wanted to be her mommies. It was the most adorable thing, Dem,” she gushed, smiling at the memory of the event a few days prior.

The older woman grinned. “Lauren’s obviously happy here,” she stated. “Nick is going to do everything in his power to make sure you guys can make her an official family member.”

Dinah nodded, smiling. “I know, thank you. We haven’t told the little ones yet though, just in case things don’t go to plan.”

“That’s probably for the best. But I don’t think anything will stop you guys. You’re amazing foster parents, and you were allowed to adopt Ally, I don’t see what would stop you from being able to adopt Lauren,” she responded. “The only reason I gave the case to Nick was so that they can’t prevent the process because of a conflict of interest.”

“Can’t it still be considered one because you gave him the case?”

“I do it all the time,” the older woman replied, shrugging. “If there’s a family who really want to adopt a child, I transfer the case over to Nick. He’s better with the family court judges than I am.”

Ally and Lauren ran into the living room before the younger woman could reply. 

“Hi, auntie Demi!” the older girl greeted cheerily. She turned to Dinah. “Mama, Inside Out finished. Can you put on another movie?” 

Demi rolled her eyes amusedly. “Wow, you can’t even give me a hug?” she asked, feigning offence. She looked to the younger girl who was shyly standing behind Ally. “Hi, Lauren. How are you?” 

“‘Ood,” the four year old answered. “‘Ow are ‘ou?” she asked quietly, trying to be polite.

The social worker smiled. “Happy to see you. And I suppose I’m happy to see Ally, too,” she teased, sending the girl a wink.

“Hey! That’s mean!” Ally exclaimed, pouting. 

“I’m kidding. Of course I’m happy to see you,” the older woman relented, standing to pick the older girl up, tickling her sides.

“No, no, stop, stop, please,” the seven year old pleaded between giggles. 

Demi stopped, setting the girl back down on the floor, just as Normani and Nick came back into the living room.

“Oh, hi, girls,” the dark skinned woman said, smiling at the two. “What are you guys doing out here?”

“‘Ovie over,” Lauren answered, peeking out from behind Dinah’s leg.

“Hey, Lauren, do you remember my friend Nick?” Demi asked softly, looking down at the nervous girl. 

“Fwom office,” the green eyed girl answered, facing the social worker. “‘E nice.”

“Yeah, he’s nice,” Demi agreed. “And, he’s going to be helping Mani and DJ now, so you’ll be seeing him a lot, is that alright?” she questioned, knowing the girl’s hesitance around males.

Lauren looked to the older man, seeing the soft smile he was giving her. “I stay wif dem?” 

“I’m going to make sure you get to stay with Mani and DJ for as long as possible,” Nick promised. 

The girl looked him, head tilted, for a minute before nodding. “‘Kay,” she replied simply. 

Dinah chuckled, lifting the girl up onto her hip. “You’re a goof, you know that?” she asked, tickling the girl’s foot, eliciting a squeal from the girl. “Come on Ally, I’ll go put on another movie for you two,” she stated, holding a hand out for her daughter.

When the three had walked back down the hallway, Normani turned back to Nick. “So do you think you can help us?” she asked hopefully.

The short haired man grinned. “I know I can help you.”

\---------------------

Later that evening, after the couple had put the girls to bed and they were laying in bed, Dinah received a text.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she muttered, her face paling as she read the message.

“Uh, you already owe Lauren like five bucks, babe, I suggest you stop swearing before it’s more,” Normani teased, not noticing her wife staring at her phone.

“Mani, I love you, I really do, and I mean this is the nicest possible way, but shut up,” the blonde replied, panicking as she continued to stare at her phone. “I’m so fucking dead.”

“What did you do?” the older woman asked warily.

“Okay, so we’ve been so caught up in getting Lauren adjusted to living with us and her doctors appointments and everything that I haven’t really talked to my mom much,” Dinah began hesitantly, wincing at the glare the older woman was giving her.

“Dinah Jane, what the hell?” 

“Yeah, okay, yell at me later, but at least I told her about taking Lauren in,” the blonde argued. She looked up at her wife fearfully. “My mom is coming to visit this weekend.”

Normani’s eyes widened. “Shit. We’re screwed.”

“Doubled screwed, because your mom’s coming with, too.”

 


	17. Chapter 17

Dinah paced the living room nervously, anxious of her and Normani’s moms visiting.  Ally would be excited, she knew that, but she was worried about Lauren. Especially because she knew her mom.

“Dinah Jane, would you please sit down,” her wife begged, holding a hand out.

The younger woman sighed, taking the outstretched hand and sitting down on the couch. “I’m just worried,” she mumbled, leaning her head on the older woman’s shoulder.

“There’s nothing to be worried about.”

Dinah sat up, glaring at the other woman. “I’m sorry, have you forgotten who my mom is?” she asked incredulously.

Normani laughed. “No, I have not. But I do remember what she was like when we first introduced her to Ally. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Except for the fact that she is going to kill me.”

The dark skinned woman rolled her eyes. “Would you quit being so dramatic?” she asked, flicking the blonde’s ear.

“Why do you all hate me?” Dinah pouted.

The doorbell ringing interrupted them and the younger woman paled. “Oh god, I'm dead. Tell the girls I love them,” she requested, getting up to answer the door as Normani chuckled, rolling her eyes amusedly. 

Dinah opened the door slowly, wincing when it was forced open form the other side. 

“Dinah Jane Ilaisanne Milika Hansen.” Her mother gave her a glare as she entered the house. 

“Hi, mom,” the younger woman replied nervously, looking at the older woman warily. “Hi, Andrea.”

“Hello, Dinah,” Normani’s mom greeted pleasantly, amusedly watching the two.

Milika looked unimpressed. She slapped the back of her daughter’s head. “That’s making me wait a month to meet Lauren.”

“Ow, what the fuck mom.”

That earned another slap to the back of the head. “Don’t speak to me like that, Dinah Jane.”

“Mother! Stop for fuck’s sakes.”

“Mama?” a shy voice called from behind the three. 

The blonde turned to see Lauren hiding behind the wall as the older two women gasped. “Hi, baby. There are two very important people here that want to meet you,” she explained gently, sending the timid girl a reassuring smile. “Want to come meet them?” 

Lauren tilted her head before moving to hide behind Dinah’s leg. She looked at the two strangers curiously but with a little apprehension. 

“I promise, they aren’t mean, Lo,” the blonde assured. “Well, Andrea’s not.”

“You may be an adult, Dinah Jane, but that does not mean I can’t still punish you,” Milika warned. 

The blonde’s eyes widened in fear at the threat while Andrea laughed.

“For fuck sakes, treated like this in my own home,” the younger woman grumbled. She groaned as she felt a tug on her shirt. “I am going to kill Demi and Selena.” She looked down at Lauren. “I will get it for you later.”

Lauren nodded, holding her arms out to be picked up. She hid her face in the blonde’s neck when she was settled on the woman’s hip.

“Sweets, can you say hi to Normani’s and my moms?” Dinah asked softly, rubbing the girl’s back soothingly. 

“Hello, Lauren. I’m Dinah’s mom, Milika,” the older woman greeted.

The four year old looked at the older women shyly. “‘Allo, ‘i’ika,” she whispered. She frowned and not pronouncing the woman’s name right. She wanted to make a good impression, because this was Mama’s Mommy. She was very important.

“That’s alright, sweetheart,” the older woman assured. 

Andrea smiled softly, deciding now would be a good time to introduce herself. “Hello, Lauren. I’m Andrea, I’m Normani’s mom,” she replied, holding a hand out for the younger girl.

Lauren looked at Andrea before hesitantly taking her hand. “‘Allo, ‘n’rea,” she said, giggling when the older woman laughed at the mispronunciation.

“She’s too cute,” the older woman cooed, looking at Dinah. 

“We know, and we’re very happy to have her with us. Isn’t that right, Lo?” she asked the girl.

The green eyed girl nodded furiously. “ I ‘ike ‘ere wif Mama an’ Mommy an’ Awwy.”

“Speaking of my daughter,” Andrea started. “Where is she? And Ally?” 

Dinah rolled her eyes. “Mani’s in the living room. And Ally is probably upstairs. I’ll go get her.” She set Lauren on the floor, kneeling in front of the girl. “Go sit with Mommy in the living room, alright sweets?” 

Lauren nodded, sending the two older women a shy smile before running off. 

The blonde sighed, turning to glare at her mom. “Do not scare her.”

Her mother looked offended. “And what makes you think I would do that?” 

“Lauren gets overwhelmed by new people easily. Plus, I know you, mother.”

“Dinah Jane. I raised you, didn’t I? I think I can handle meeting Lauren without scaring her.”

The younger woman rolled her eyes. “Just, please, try not to, okay? I’m going to go get Ally, you two go on into the living room.”

\-----

“Hi, mom, Milika,” Normani greeted, standing to hug both women as they entered the living room.

“Hi, sweetie,” Andrea greeted, releasing her daughter so the woman could greet Milika properly. “Hello, Normani. How are you?” the other mom asked, hugging her daughter-in-law.

Doing good, thank you. How are you?”

“Well, aside from being annoyed Dinah did mention anything about Lauren aside her being here, I'm okay.”

“For fuck’s sake, will you let me live, woman,” the blonde grumbled as she walked into the room with Ally.

“Nanas!” the seven year old exclaimed, rushing to hug the women.

Lauren looked up at Normani. “Awwy e’cited?” she asked. 

“Very excited,” Normani confirmed, ecstatic to see Lauren didn't flinch at the shout. 

Dinah’s phone went off, and she excused herself to take the call.

“Nanas, have you met Lauren?” Ally questioned, seemingly bursting with excitement. “She’s my sister now.”

The two women grinned.

“Is that so?” Andreas asked, looking at her daughter, who nodded subtly. “That’s very exciting.”

“Lauren, is Ally a good big sister?” Milika questioned, looking to the younger girl sitting on the couch.

“Bestest. She ‘ive ‘ugs when I s’ared. ‘Ike Mama and Mommy.”

Dinah reentered the room, walking over to whisper something in Normani’s ear.

“Seriously? It can’t wait?” the older woman asked incredulously.

The blonde shook her head. “No, apparently we’re both needed, and it can’t wait.”

“What’s wrong?” Milika asked.

Dinah sighed, facing her mom. “There’s an emergency meeting at work, and we’re needed.”

“We don’t know how long it will take, and we’re concerned about Lauren,” Normani added, watching the two girls animatedly talking on the couch. “We’ve been able to work from here since we took her in, and she gets really nervous when one of us has to leave for any amount of time.”

Andrea nodded. “Well, unfortunately, you’re going to have to go, it sounds,” she replied.

Her daughter nodded. “But what about Lauren? I don’t think we can take her with us.”

“We’ll watch them,” Milika stated. “Just explain to Lauren what’s happening, and that you’ll be back, and we’ll keep her distracted.”

“How?” Dinah questioned, looking at her mom skeptically. “A movie might work for a little bit, but eventually she’ll notice that we’re still gone.”

“Well,” Andrea began, glancing over at the two girls. “Do you have everything needed to make cookies?” she asked. “And, do you guys usually have Lauren take a nap in the afternoon?” 

“Yes, and yes,” Normani answered. “Do you really think you can keep Lauren distracted though?”

“Ally loves helping me bake cookies,” the older woman answered. “And I bet she’d agree we could use another helper.”

The couple shared a look, silently debating. Finally, Dinah shrugged.

“Alright, if you think it will work,” she agreed, her wife nodding beside her.

“Okay, you two go explain everything to Lauren, I’ll go start looking for everything we need,” Milika said, walking to the kitchen.

The younger women sighed, turning to kneel in front of the girls on the couch.

“Hi, Mommies,” Ally said, smiling at the two.

“Hi, babies,” Dinah replied, smiling softly. “Mommy and I need to talk with you both. It’s very important.”

The girls nodded, staring at the women.

“Mama and I have to leave for a bit,” Normani started.

“No, no, no go, p’ease,” Lauren interjected, looking at them pleadingly. “No ‘eave, p’ease,” she begged, tears welling in her eyes.

The couple sighed, looking at each other concernedly. They knew it was necessary, but that didn’t make it any easier. 

“Lauren, sweetheart, we’re coming back,” the blonde assured, taking the younger girl’s hand in her own. “We’ll be back. We’re not leaving forever.”

“No, stay, p’ease.”

“Lauren, we are coming back,” Normani stated, wiping away tears from the girl’s cheek. “We have to go to work because some people need us. We will be back. We won’t be gone that long,” she promised.

“No wan’ Mommies ‘o ‘eave me ‘ike Mommy an’ daddy,” Lauren cried, throwing herself into the dark skinned woman’s arms, clinging to her shirt tightly. 

“Lauren, baby, we are not going to leave,” Normani promised, running a hand up and down the girl’s back. “We will be back, okay?”

“Lauren, sweetheart,” Andrea interjected, walking over to the four. “I bet I know a way to make sure Mommy and Mama come back,” she said, sending the couple a wink.

The four year old sniffled, looking up. “‘Ow?” 

“Well, I bet they’d make sure they come home if we made cookies,” the older woman replied. “I’m sure they wouldn’t want to miss out on that, don’t you think?” 

Ally gasped energetically. “Yeah, Mommies would have to come home in order to get cookies,” she agreed. “And, and guess what, Lo? We’d get to help make them!”

“‘Eally?” the younger girl questioned, looking between the adults. “An’, an’ ‘ou come ‘ome?”

“We’ll come home,” Dinah assured, brushing strands of hair behind the girl’s ear. “We’ll come home, and we’ll bring dinner with us, and then we can have cookies for dessert and watch a movie.”

“Does that sound good to you, sweets?” Normani asked.

Lauren nodded hesitantly, hugging the woman tightly. “”Kay, ‘ut ‘ou come ‘ack.”

The couple nodded. “We’ll be back,” they promised.

The four year old let go of Normani to turn and hug Dinah. 

Andrea held a hand out to the younger girl. “Come along, sweetheart. Ally and I need a helper in the kitchen, and I think I know just who we need.”

Lauren hesitantly took the outstretched hand, looking back at the couple. 

“We’re coming back, Lauren,” Normani assured again.

“Always, Lauren. We’ll always come back,” Dinah promised.

The girl nodded, letting herself be led to the kitchen.

“Bye Mommy! Bye Mama!” Ally said, hugging both women before running into the kitchen.

Dinah sighed, looking to her wife. “Fuck, that was hard.” 

“Agreed,” the older woman replied, deciding not to say anything about the blonde’s swearing. “Come on, the sooner we go the sooner we can get back.”

\---------

Lauren sat on the counter, watching as Ally and Andrea added ingredients to the mixing bowl. 

“So, Lauren, what does Dinah have to get you later?” Milika asked, standing near the girl to make sure she didn’t fall off the counter.

“Mama says ‘ad word, an’ ‘ives ‘oney,” the younger girl explained, looking up to the older woman.

“Is it just your Mama that gives you money?” 

“I not hear Mommy say ‘ad words.”

Milika cracked up, failing to contain her laughter. “How much has she given you so far?”

Lauren shrugged, not knowing the answer.

“Like, fifteen dollars, Nana,” Ally answered, pouting. “And it’s not fair because I don’t have one.”

“‘Ift from ‘amz,” the younger girl reminded.

“Well still,” the older girl grumbled, crossing her arms.

Andrea chuckled, walking over with two cups of chocolate chips. “Here, pour these in, and then we’ll mix it up.”

The two girls eagerly grabbed the cups, dumping them into the bowl. When the cookie dough was mixed, Ally swiped some onto her finger.

“Hey, Lauren, look.”

The younger girl looked up, shrieking when the older girl swiped the dough across her face.

“Awwy!” 

The seven year old giggled mischievously, before she felt a clump of dough hit her face. “Hey!”

“‘Ou ‘tarted it,” Lauren argued. 

“Alright, enough you two,” Milika intervened, wiping both of their faces with a wet rag. “Unless you both want timeouts?”

“Nuh uh,” the girls answered, shaking their heads.

They helped scooped dough onto the cookie sheets, then let Andrea set them in the oven.

Lauren tried to suppress a yawn, but was unsuccessful.

“I think a certain little one is tired, huh?” Dinah’s mom said, chuckling when the girl shook her head before letting out a dinosaur yawn.

“Go take a nap, sweetheart,” Andrea said, facing the girl. “By the time you’re up, the cookies will be done. And I’m sure your Mommies will be back by then, too.”

Lauren’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “I ‘ake nap,” she agreed. She really wanted her Mommies to come back. She took Milika’s hand and let herself be led upstairs.

“I don’t have to take a nap, too, do I?” Ally asked, pouting.

Andrea laughed, shaking her head. “No, you don’t.”

“Okay, good. Because seven year olds don’t take naps.”

The older woman just rolled her eyes amusedly, knowing the girl would be asleep on the couch in a few minutes. 

\----------

Lauren felt herself being gently shaken. She let out a whine, wanting the person to stop.

“Lauren, sweets, it’s time to get up.”

The girl whined again, wanting to be left to sleep. She just wanted her Mommies to be home, and the voice that sounded like her Mama was keeping her from- wait. 

Lauren opened her eyes to see her Mama standing in front of her. She threw her blanket aside, reaching out for the blonde.

“Hi, baby. Did you have a good nap?” Dinah asked as she picked the girl up off the bed.

“‘Ou camed ‘ack,” the four year old mumbled into the woman’s shoulder.

“Of we did, Mommy’s downstairs. We told you we would come back.”

Lauren nodded, reveling in the feeling of her Mama holding her. She didn’t like that they had to leave, but she was happy the came back. “‘Ove ‘ou, Mama. She pressed a kiss to the older woman’s cheek.

“Love you, too, sweets,” Dinah replied, kissing the girl’s forehead.

“And where is my love, huh?” Normani teased, having heard the two.

Lauren reached out for the older woman, kissing her cheek, too. “‘Ove ‘ou, Mommy.”

The dark skinned woman grinned. “Love you, too, Lo.”

“Now, I believe we were promised cookies if we returned, correct?” Dinah asked, looking between Ally and Lauren.

“And you’ll get them. After dinner,” Milika replied.

“Damn it, fine,” blonde muttered, groaning when she saw Lauren look at her expectantly. “I am going to kill Demi and Selena the next time we see them.”

\----------

After the group had watched a movie and eaten cookies, Ally and Lauren had been put to bed and the adults were in the living room talking.

“So, while we were out, we got a call from Lauren’s social worker,” Dinah started. 

“And, he scheduled a hearing with a family court judge on Monday,” Normani added.

The older women looked at them in surprise.

“Are you going to be able to make the adoption official?” Milika asked.

“Well, that’s what we’re going to find out,” the blonde answered, taking Normani’s hand. “I don’t think we’ll be signing anything, but I think we’ll be able to find out if it’s possible to get the process started.”

“I don’t see why any judge would deny it,” Andrea replied, looking at the two seriously. “You two are wonderful parents, any judge with eyes can see it.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Normani said sincerely, sending her mother a smile.

“Well, haven’t screwed up as much as I thought you would,” Milika teased.

Dinah scoffed. “Why can’t you be like Andrea and say nice things? Why are you mean to me?”

“I wouldn’t be your mother if I wasn’t.”

The blonde rolled her eyes, but stood to hug the woman. “Alright, now,” she began after she sat back down. “Lauren’s birthday is coming up.”

  
  
  



	18. Chapter 18

“You guys ready?” Nick asked as Dinah and Normani met him outside the courthouse, Lauren hiding shyly behind the blonde’s leg, clutching her Nala tightly.

The older woman nodded. “We’re ready, but why did you ask us to bring Lauren?”

The social worker gave them a small smile. “Judge Cowell specifically asked that Lauren came along. I think he wants to ask her a few questions.”

“Is that a good or bad sign?” Dinah asked warily, a skeptical look on her face.

Nick shrugged. “If it was any other judge, I wouldn’t be able to say,” he answered. “But, Cowell’s a pretty fair judge, so I doubt anything bad will happen.” He looked down to the young girl, sending her a reassuring grin. “Lauren, there’s someone who wants to talk with us today. He’s going to ask you some questions, and your mommies and I need you to answer honestly, okay?” he explained.

Lauren looked up hesitantly. “I in twouble?” she questioned frightenedly, not knowing what she did. Ally was still at home with Normani and Dinah’s moms, so obviously Lauren must have been the one to do something bad, but she didn’t know what.

“No, you are not in trouble,” Nick assured, kneeling down to the girl’s height. “You know how Normani and Dinah want to be your mommies forever?” he asked, earning a nod from the girl. “Well, Mr. Cowell is the one who’s going to decide if that’s going to happen. And he has to ask some questions in order to make sure it’s okay for you to stay with them. All you have do is answer the questions honestly.”

“Lauren, sweets, you’re not in trouble,” Dinah promised, picking the four year old up and setting her on her hip. “You didn’t do anything wrong, promise. But do you think you can answer the questions truthfully?”

“We can get ice cream on the way back, and som for Ally and nanas, too,”  Normani added, giving the younger one something to look forward to.

Lauren nodded resolutely. “‘Es, I be twuthful,” she stated. She wanted to make her mommies proud, and the ice cream part didn’t hurt, either.

“Alright, good,” Nick said, holding his hand out for a high five, which the girl returned. “Let’s do this then.”

Nick led them inside the building, and down a corridor to a small office. The door read ‘Judge S. Cowell’s Chamber’.

“We’re not going into an actual courtroom?” Normani asked, surprised, looking to the older man.

“Nope. This is just a preliminary meeting,” he explained. “Judge Cowell specifically asked for a private meeting. He normally doesn’t do that,and honestly I have no idea what to expect.” 

He knocked on the door, and after receiving a ‘Come in’ reply, opened the door, letting the women walk in first, Lauren still being held by Dinah.

The man Dinah assumed to be Judge Cowell sat behind a large desk, watching them intently as they walked in. Honestly, the blonde was slightly intimidated by the man, and with a quick glance at her wife she noted the older woman was, too. Lauren’s posture had stiffened, and she had hid her face in her stuffed lion. At least, until the older man spoke.

“Hello. I presume you’re the Hamilton-Hansen family, yes?” 

Lauren blinked. “You ‘alk funny,” she stated bluntly, frowning.

“Lauren, that’s not very nice,” Normani scolded, sending an apologetic look to the amused older man.

The man laughed, smiling brightly. “Well, yes, I do talk kind of funny, I suppose,” he agreed. “I am from Britain, after all.”

“Where dat?”

“Very far away.” The man turned to the three adults. “Judge Simon Cowell. Now, I believe we have some important things to discuss?”

The other three took seats in front of the desk, and Nick pulled a file from his briefcase. 

Dinah sat Lauren in a chair behind them and gave her a coloring book and a box of crayons. “Alright, Lo, sit here and color quietly while we talk. And if you’re asked any questions, what do you do?”

“Be twuthful.”

Normani and Dinah both smiled. 

“Good girl,” the older woman praised.

They turned back to face Simon as Lauren focused on coloring a picture of Stitch.

“So, you two are wanting to petition to adopt Lauren Jauregui?” the older man asked as he looked over a few papers.

“Yes, that’s right,” Normani answered. 

“And she came to you guys as an emergency placement?”

Nick cut in as Dinah started to answer. “My colleague called them the night Lauren was brought into the ER for injuries caused by the foster father at the time,” he explained. “Lauren was then released into their custody, and has been with them since.”

“And you took over the case, Mr. Jonas?”

“Yes, Sir.” The younger man nodded. “While Mrs. Lovato-Gomez helped Dinah and Normani in adopting their daughter Ally, she didn’t want there to be any issues with conflict of interests or bias.”

The judge nodded. “I see,” he replied. He looked over the file Nick had handed over, seeing medical records and disgusted at the images of the various injuries the four year old had suffered through. Looking back up at the younger man he asked, “And home inspections found everything up to standard? No signs of mistreatment or abuse?”

Nick shook his head. “Everything is up to standard, and both children are well taken care of and happy.”

Simon nodded, glancing at Lauren, who was quietly coloring, her tongue poking out in concentration, Nala sitting next to her. “What was Lauren like when she first came to you?” he asked the women, still watching the girl.

“When we first met her at the hospital, she was terrified,” Normani answered, recounting how the girl had hidden under the bed at loud noises. “She was extremely shy, He and very hesitant about being touched.”

“Lauren was really quiet, too,” Dinah added, then laughed. “Until we found out she liked the Lion King. She was very adamant about watching that.”

The judge nodded, smiling slightly. “And her acclamation to a new home with another child already there went well?”

“Yeah, Ally and Lauren get along well. There haven’t been any issues between them. At least, not since Lauren got sick,” Normani answered.

“Ally was upset she couldn’t go swimming because we had to take care of Lauren. She said she didn’t want Lauren around, but after we explained that Lauren needed us like Ally did when she was sick, everything was okay,” Dinah explained at the older man’s confused look.

Simon nodded. “I see.” He glanced at the the three adults before looking back at the girl. “Lauren, sweetheart, come here for a second, please,” he requested gently.

Lauren looked up timidly, nervously walking up to the desk, her small body not quite allowing her to see over it. Normani picked the girl up, setting her on her lap.

“Hello, Lauren,” Simon greeted.

“‘Allo,” the green eyed girl replied, confusedly. “We meeted ‘ready.”

“Yes, we did,” the older man agreed, smiling amusedly. “I have a couple of questions for you. Do you think you can answer them?”

Lauren cast a glance at the women and Nick, before shrugging. “I be twuthful,” she promised, nodding to herself.

“That’s good. I don’t think anyone wants you to not be truthful,” Simon said. “Alright. Did you like any of the homes you stayed at before?” he asked gently.

The girl immediately shook her head. “Nuh uh, dey ‘urted and scawy,” she answered quietly, clutching Nala tightly to her chest.

“I like your lion, Lauren,” the British man stated. “Who gave it to you?”

“Was gif’ from Mani and DJ,” Lauren replied, petting the stuffed animal’s fur. “Dey mommies now.”

Simon raised an eyebrow curiously. “Oh? Is that right? So you like living with them?” He pointed between the two women.

The girl nodded furiously, her eyes lighting up, and a wide grin taking over her face. “‘Es! Dey nice, an’ ‘ive ‘ugs an’ take to ‘oo!”

“To what?” the older man questioned.

“The zoo,” Dinah supplied.

Lauren nodded. “Uh huh, an’ saw ‘ions and ‘en’uins. An’, an’ Awwy ‘estest ‘ister.”

“And you don’t feel scared or hurt with them?” Simon asked.

“Nuh uh, ‘eel safe, no scareded.”

The older man nodded, thinking. “Thank you, Lauren. You’ve been very helpful,” he said, giving the girl a warm smile. 

“You no scawy,” the green eyed girl responded, giggling slightly.

Simon chuckled. “Well, let’s not let that little secret get out. There are some people I need to scare.”

“‘Ike bad ‘uys?” 

“Yep, I’ve got to be scary to the bad guys. So let’s not tell them I’m not scary, deal?”

“Deal!” Lauren agreed excitedly, saluting at the older man.

Simon grinned, then looked at the the three adults. “I’ll have my decision made by Wednesday.”

Nick looked slightly taken back, but hid his surprise quickly. “Yes, Sir. Are we done here then?”

The older man nodded, standing and shaking hands with the three. He looked at Lauren, who was settled on Normani’s hip. “You be good, munchkin. I don’t want to have to see you and have to be scary.”

Lauren nodded seriously. “‘Es, ‘ir!” she agreed excitedly.

They left the office, walking out of the courthouse.

“You seemed surprised that Judge Cowell would have his decision made by Wednesday,” Dinah mused as they walked to the parking lot.

“It’s a little fast for a decision to be made,” the social worker replied. “He usually takes about a week to make a decision.”

“What do you think it means?” Normani asked.

Nick shrugged. “I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” 

\------------

Later that night, after the three had returned home and everyone had ice cream as promised, Ally and Lauren were playing in the older girl’s bedroom.

“Mama’s birthday is really soon,” the seven year old said suddenly.

The younger girl frowned. “‘Irfday?” she questioned confusedly.

“You don’t know what a birthday is?” Ally asked incredulously, gaping at Lauren. “It’s the day you were born. Do you know when yours is?”

Lauren shook her head. “No know. No been ‘old.”

The older girl frowned. “Hmm, well I bet Mama and Mommy know,” she assured. “You missed Mommy’s birthday, but I bet we can find something for you to do for Mama’s.”

“‘Ike what?”

“Well, uh.” Ally tapped her chin, thinking intently. “Well, Mommy and Mama sometimes go on dates,” she said.

“What dat?”

“I don’t really know. But whenever Mommy says they’re going on one, they always go out for hours and nanas comes over. Then when they get back, Mama is always really happy and excited,” the older girl explained. “I think they go and get dinner somewhere fancy, because they always wear pretty clothes. I’m sure you can do it, too.”

Lauren nodded, thinking. Maybe she could use some of her money that Mama had given her for saying bad things. They could get ice cream again, too!

After bath time and the girls had been tucked in bed, Lauren slowly crawled out from her blankets and, grabbing Nala, she made her way to the master bedroom. She could hear Normani and Dinah talking quietly, so she knew they weren’t asleep. Hesitantly, she pushed open the door, which was already slightly ajar. 

The older woman looked up, and smiled seeing the girl standing there. “Hi, sweets, what are you doing out of bed?” she asked.

Lauren made her way into the room, climbing up on the bed, dragging Nala with her. She struggled for a moment until Dinah lifted her up.

“What’s up, baby?” the blonde questioned, seeing the nervous look on the girl’s face.

“Awwy said Mama’s ‘irfday soon,” the four year old started. “An’, an’ I wan’ take Mama on date,” she stated seriously, looking at older women.

The two women shared amused glances.

“Is that so?” Dinah questioned, trying to stifle a laugh. “And what would we do on this date?”

“‘Et ice cweam an’ dinner,” Lauren decided thoughtfully, remembering Ally saying Mama was happy when Mommy took her to dinner. “But, no ‘ancy dress, because it ‘et messy.”

Dinah laughed heartily, pulling the girl up to tickle her sides, causing her to squeal and try and squirm away. “So a birthday date for Mama then?” she checked, letting the four year old catch her breath.

Lauren nodded furiously. “‘Es, ‘irfday date.”

“And who is going to pay for this date?” Normani asked curiously.

“Me! Wif money Mama ‘ave for da bad words!”

The older woman burst out laughing, while Dinah looked offended. 

“Come on, babe, don’t be mad,” Normani teased, flicking the younger woman’s ear. “At least the money is going to be used for something nice.”

The blonde rolled her eyes, shoving her wife slightly. “Yeah, yeah, whatever,” she grumbled. She slid out of bed, picking Lauren up and hoisting the girl over her shoulder. “Alright, I know a certain green eyed girl who should be in bed.”

Lauren giggled, trying to get out of Dinah’s hold. “I s’eep here wif Mommy and Mama?” 

Dinah and Normani shared a look, before shrugging.

“I don’t see why not,” the older woman said.

“Hmm, I don’t know,” the blonde said jokingly. “What about another certain little girl? I don’t think she’d want to be left out.”

“Awwy s’eep here, too?” Lauren asked. 

Dinah gasped in mock surprise. “That’s a wonderful idea, Miss Lauren!” She set the girl on the bed before disappearing.

A few moments later Dinah walked back into the room, carrying a sleepy Ally who grumbled, “I wanna sleep, Mama. You woke me up.”

“Well, do you want to cuddle or not?” the blonde reasoned.

The seven year old perked up slightly. “Lemme down, Mama, lemme down.”

“Alright, alright, go get in bed,” Dinah chuckled, setting the girl down.

Ally scrambled onto the bed, settling down in the blonde’s spot.

“Hey, you jerk. You’re in my spot.”

“That’s what you get for waking me up, Mama,” Ally retorted, smiling widely at Dinah.

Dinah rolled her eyes, scooting Ally over. The seven year old turned to nuzzle into the blonde, and Dinah looked over to see Lauren already fast asleep curled into Normani, and soon enough Ally was asleep, too.

“I hope Judge Cowell’s decision is to let us start the adoption process,” Normani murmured, quietly, watching the two girls sleeping peacefully.

Dinah smiled, leaning over to pull the older woman into a kiss. “I have a feeling things will turn out okay.”

 


	19. Chapter 19

Dinah was awoken by a sudden weight falling on top of her.

“Awwy, you gonna ‘urt Mama,” she heard Lauren whisper worriedly.

“It’s okay, Lo, Mama’s super strong,” Ally replied. “Come on, get up here.”

The blonde heard Lauren attempting to crawl up onto the bed, but after a few moments the four year old sighed defeatedly. 

“I no ‘et up.” Dinah could picture clearly the pout on Lauren’s face.

At that moment, the woman decided to let the girls know she was awake. “What are you two goofs doing?” she questioned, sitting up and trapping Ally in her arms, tickling the girl’s sides.

“No, Mama, no!” the seven year old squealed, squirming to try and escape. 

“Nope, you woke the tickle monster up, this is what you get,” Dinah responded, unrelenting in her attacks.

Ally laughed uncontrollably as she continued to try and wiggle her way free. When Dinah loosened her grip just enough, the girl jumped from the bed, running out of the room. “Every man for themself!” she yelled as she ran down the hall.

Lauren watched confusedly, before turning and seeing Dinah’s mischievous look. “Nuh uh, no, Mama, no,” she said as she backpedaled towards the door.

She wasn’t fast enough, however, as the blonde was up and out of the bed quickly, scooping the girl up and tickling her as she walked back to the bed. 

“Nope, you have to face the wrath of the tickle monster,” Dinah teased, laughing as the girl tried to push her hands away.

Finally, the woman stopped her attacks, letting Lauren catch her breath. Once the girl’s breathing had returned to normal, she crawled on top of the blonde, nuzzling her face into the woman’s neck.

“‘Appy ‘irfday, Mama,” she mumbled, placing a kiss on the woman’s cheek. “‘Ove you ‘ots.”

Dinah grinned, and hugged the girl tightly, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Thank you, baby. I love you lots, too.”

Ally peeked around the corner. Deeming it safe to enter, she ran and jumped onto the bed, throwing herself on top of the other two. “Happy birthday, Mama!” she exclaimed, hugging the older woman. 

“Thank you, Ally,” Dinah replied, smiling. “Where’s Mommy? And why are you two up so early?” she asked, checking her phone to see it was just barely passed eight in the morning.

“We’re making a surprise birthday breakfast,” Ally explained, her eyes widening when she realized she had let the secret slip.

Lauren sent the older girl her best glare (which really wasn’t anything to be intimidated by). “Awwy! You told Mama the secret,” she whined.

Dinah chuckled amusedly, shaking her head. Alright, munchkins-”

“I’m not a munchkin,” Ally grumbled, crossing her arms with a pout.

“Yeah, you are,” the blonde teased, ruffling the girl’s hair. “Come on, let’s go see what Mommy’s up to and if she needs help.” She gently pushed the two girls off of her, standing up. 

Ally jumped off the bed and ran downstairs, leaving the two behind.

Dinah picked Lauren up, carrying her out of the room. “So, where are we going for our date, Miss Lauren?” she asked as she walked down the hall.

Lauren shrugged. “Where Mama want go?”

“Well, how about we get lunch to go and then go to the park? Then we can get ice cream there?”

Lauren didn’t really understand how they would get lunch ‘to go’, but going to the park with Mama and getting ice cream sounded awesome to her. Nodding excitedly, she agreed, “‘es, do dat.”

Dinah laughed as she walked into the kitchen. She walked over to where Normani was setting French toast on a plate. “Morning, wifey,” she greeted, pressing a kiss to the older woman’s cheek.

“Morning, babe,” Normani greeted, returning the gesture. “Happy birthday,” she murmured, pulling the blonde into a quick kiss.

“Ewww, gwoss,” Lauren groaned, pushing the dark skinned woman back slightly. “No, Mommy.”

Normani rolled her eyes as Dinah chuckled and set Lauren down, who ran off to sit at the table with Ally. 

“Don’t worry, babe, Demi and Selena are going to take the girls for the night,” the younger woman whispered.

“Good, because there a lot of things I want to do with you tonight,” Normani replied, wiggling her eyebrows.

Dinah grinned. “Can’t wait.”

“Alright, come on, let’s go eat,” the older woman said, grabbing the plate of French toast and bacon and going to sit at the table.

After everyone had their plates and the women had their coffee and the girls were given their juice, Ally and Lauren immediately dug into their food, creating sticky messes with the syrup.

Normani shook her head at the two, before turning to her wife. “So, what are you and Lauren doing for your ‘date’?” 

“We’re going to get something for lunch and take it to the park, and then get ice cream,” the blonde explained, taking a sip of coffee. “This way you and I can still go out for dinner tonight.”

Normani nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

They finished breakfast, and as Dinah cleaned up, Normani took Lauren upstairs for a quick bath; the girl had gotten syrup all over her face and in her hair. Afterwards, they let the two girls into the playroom so that they could take care of some work business.

\----------

Dinah set their bag of food and drinks on the park table, helping Lauren up onto one of the seats. “Alright, squirt, here you go,” she said, taking out one of the containers. “Chicken tenders, mac and cheese, and French fries.” 

“T’anks, Mama,” the girl replied appreciatively, digging into her meal.

The blonde shook her head, watching the four year old amusedly. “Try not to make a mess, okay? You’re going to make enough of one with the ice cream later.”

Lauren nodded, slowing down her pace. 

Dinah sat and ate her burger and fries, content to sit and watch as the girl ate her own food.

She was broken from her trance when Lauren asked quietly, “Mama, I ‘et stay wif you an’ Mommy an’ Ally?”

The older woman looked over to see green eyes looking at her anxiously. She reached over and took Lauren’s smaller hand in her own. “You know how we had to talk to Judge Cowell the other day?” she asked, and Lauren nodded. “Well, he had to talk to us to make sure it was okay for you to stay with us. That you would be safe and protected with us.”

“Mama an’ Mommy ‘eep safe?”

“Mommy and I are going to do everything in our power to keep you and Ally safe.”

“An’, an’ I ‘elp pwote’t Awwy?” Lauren asked, looking up curiously. “‘Ike Mama an’ Mommy?

Dinah smiled, nodding at the girl. “Yeah, you can help protect Ally. Just like Ally can help protect you.”

The green eyed girl nodded happily, and returned to eating her lunch. 

It wasn’t much long later when Lauren gasped and pointed excitedly, “Mama, ‘ook! Duckies!” She pointed at a group of ducklings being led to the water by the momma duck. “We feed dem?”

Dinah looked to see green eyes peering up at her with such hopefulness. She really didn’t want to say no, but unfortunately, she didn’t think they had anything that wouldn’t make the ducks sick. “I’m sorry, baby, but not today,” she answered sadly, her heart crushing at the look of disappointment on the girl’s face. “I don’t think we have any food the duckies would like. You don’t want them getting sick, do you?” 

The girl gasped in horror, shaking her head furiously. “No, sick no fun. Mkay, no feed duckies,” she agreed.

Dinah smiled. “Maybe we can find out what duckies can eat, and then next time we’ll be prepared. And maybe Ally and Mommy can join us?”

Lauren nodded in agreement, smiling. “Plan ‘ood, Mama.”

The blonde chuckled, this girl was too cute for her own good. She checked to see that Lauren had finished most of her food, and decided she had eaten enough to get a treat. “Alright, munchkin, how about ice cream before we go home?” 

The four year began bouncing in her seat, nodding exuberantly. “‘Es! I pay?”

“Well, it was your idea for the date,” Dinah teased, cleaning up their trash. She helped Lauren down from the seat, taking her hand. 

She led the girl to the ice cream vendor, but Lauren hid behind the woman’s legs when it was time to order. 

“What can I get for you two ladies today?” the vendor asked, smiling warmly at the two.

Dinah looked down to Lauren, smiling softly. “You want to order, or do you want me to?”

Lauren looked up to the teenaged girl behind the cart, who nodded encouragingly. “Uh, two, p’ease,” she requested quietly, holding up two fingers. “‘Anilla an’ cho’late.”

“Vanila and chocolate, please,” Dinah explained quietly when the teen looked to her confusedly. “And in bowls, if possible,” she added politely.

The teen grinned, and scooped the requested flavors into two styrofoam cups. “Here you go, cutie,” she said, handing the bowls out for Lauren.  

Lauren pulled on the hem of Dinah’s shirt, whispering, “Mama, I pay?”

The blonde nodded, and pulled out a ten dollar bill (it wasn’t from Lauren’s stash, but Dinah wouldn’t tell her that). “Hand that to her, and tell her to keep the change,” she said, giving the bill to the four year old and grabbing the bowls of ice cream.

Lauren nodded, and eagerly held the money out to the teen. “Keep ‘ange,” she added happily, smiling brightly at the teen.

“Thanks, cutie,” the teen replied with a wink, laughing when Lauren blushed and hid behind Dinah. “Have a good day,” she added, smiling.

“Thank you,” the blonde paused to look at the teen’s name tag, “Hailee. Have a good day.” With a final smile, she grabbed Lauren’s hand and walked over to the benches near the duck pond.

She helped Lauren up onto the bench, and handed her the bowl of vanilla ice cream. 

“You ‘irfday ‘ood?” the four year old asked, ice cream dribbling down the corner of her lips.

Dinah laughed, wiping the girl’s face with a napkin, then kissing her cheek. “Yes, it’s been very good so far. Thank you for the ice cream, Miss Lauren.”

Lauren nodded happily, going back to messily eating her frozen treat and watching the ducks swim in the pond.

The older woman grinned and sat back against the bench. This was turning out to be one of the best birthdays of her life. She didn’t think anything else could make it better.

\----------

When Dinah pulled up to the house about thirty minutes later, she frowned, seeing another car in front of the house. She parked in the driveway, then carefully picked Lauren up from her booster seat, the girl having fallen asleep on the drive home. She walked through the front door and into the living room to see Normani sitting on one of the couches, Nick sitting on the other.

“What’s up?” she asked, noticing the anxious look on her wife’s face.

“Judge Cowell made his decision. I was waiting for you to get home so that we could find out together,” the older woman explained. 

Dinah nodded. “Let me go put Lauren in bed and then we can find out,” she replied. She carried the girl upstairs and into her bedroom, laying her on the bed. 

Lauren whined and reached out for the woman, still half asleep. 

“Shh, Lauren, it’s alright, go back to sleep,” the blonde murmured soothingly, laying the girl’s star blanket she had received from Camila over her and giving the girl her the stuffed lion from the trip to the zoo.

“‘Ove Mama.” The four year old let out a dinosaur yawn, and a few moments later was back to sleep.

Dinah grinned, placed a kiss to the girl’s forehead, then quietly made her way back into the hall, leaving the door open. She checked in on Ally, finding the older girl laying on the floor cuddling her penguin and watching something on Normani’s tablet. She smiled to herself, then made her way back downstairs.

“Alright, so Judge Cowell made his decision?” the blonde asked as she took a seat next to her wife on the couch.

Nick nodded, sitting up straight. “I got the call this morning, but I was swamped with paperwork all morning. I figured this was news that should be given in person, so I waited until I could take a break,” he explained, a slight apologetic look on his face.

Normani shook her head. “No, it’s okay. It’s better this way, Dinah has been out with Lauren for most of the afternoon.”

The older man nodded. He looked between the two seriously for a moment, and Dinah was worried the news wouldn’t be good. 

Her worries were settled when the social worker grinned and announced, “Cowell signed off on the adoption, and put a rush on the paperwork process.”

The two women stared at him in shock.

“She’ll get to be ours, officially?” the blonde asked, not quite believing what she was hearing was true.

Nick nodded, his grin growing wider, if that was even possible. “Yeah. And Cowell requested the paperwork be rushed to make it official as soon as possible,” he added. “I don’t really think he’s supposed to do that, but apparently he wants the adoption to be official as soon as possible.”

“So what do we do now?” Normani asked, barely holding her excitement in.

“Well, once the paperwork is processed, we’ll have to go back to Cowell’s office and you’ll have to sign a lot of stuff, and it’ll have to filed and everything. But as soon as the papers are signed, Lauren will officially be yours.”

Dinah stood up and pulled the man into a hug, trying to hold back her tears. “Thank you so much,” she said, not knowing how else to express her gratitude.

Nick laughed, returning the hug. “I didn’t do much. You guys are the ones that showed you’re the right parents for her,” he responded.

As her wife hugged the social worker, Dinah couldn’t contain her grin, or her tears. 

She didn’t think her birthday could get any better, but now they were going to make Lauren’s spot in their family permanent. She didn’t think any birthday in the future could top this one.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter of the original story. What follows next are bonus chapters I wrote later as little peeks into the family's life that you didn't see in the original story.

Lauren woke suddenly when a weight fell on top of her. Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes to see Ally laying on top of her. “No, ‘o ‘way,” she mumbled, trying to push the older girl off of her, eyes closing due to sleep.

“But you gotta get up,” the other girl replied, not moving. “It’s your birthday, Lo! You don’t wanna miss it, do you?”

Lauren opened her eyes to see it was still pretty dark out, and whined. Why was Ally awake and trying to get her out of bed so early? “It dark, ‘o ‘way, I s’eeping,” she uttered, finally managing to push Ally off of her.

Apparently Ally must have been closer to the edge than Lauren thought because a loud thump sounded.

Ally jumped up, unperturbed. “Okay, fine,” she relented, a yawn suddenly escaping her. “Can we at least cuddle?”

The younger girl nodded excitedly, lifting her blankets up for the other girl to crawl under. She never turned down opportunities to cuddle, though she would have appreciated Ally not waking her up so early.

Ally scurried onto the bed and under the blankets, and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl tightly. “Happy birthday, Lo,” she mumbled, kissing the girl’s cheek. “Love you, and I’m really happy Mommy and Mama found you, you’re the bestest sister ever.”

Lauren smiled sleepily, nestling into the older girl. “‘Ove ‘ots, Awwy,” she mumbled, falling back to sleep soon after.

\----------

Lauren woke up to the sound of footsteps nearing her bed. She blinked a few times, blearily looking up to see her Mommy and Mama standing near her bed. Ally was still sleeping.

“Hmmm it looks like there are two little ones who decided to have cuddles without us,” Normani said teasingly, looking between Dinah and Lauren with an exaggerated pout.

“Yeah, why don’t we get cuddles with the birthday girl?” the blonde agreed, looking to Lauren, a pout on her face, too.

“Awwy waked up when dark an’ I s’eeping, she not ‘o away,” the green eyed girl explained.

Dinah burst out laughing, shaking her head. “That sounds like Ally,” she said when her laughter stopped. 

“Go away, Mama,” the seven year old mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes. “We’re sleeping.”

“Well, it sounds like you rudely interrupted Lauren’s sleep earlier, so this is payback,” the blonde responded.

“Nuh uh, I made up for it with cuddles. And you weren’t invited,” Ally retorted, sticking her tongue out at the older woman.

Dinah gasped in mock offense. “That is hurtful, Allyson,” she stated, bringing her hands to her heart.

Normani rolled her eyes. “You’re so dramatic,” she muttered.

“Yeah, Mama, you’re a drama queen,” Ally agreed, nodding seriously.

Dinah stared incredulously at the seven year old. “Where did you even learn that phrase?” she asked. She shook her head. “Nope, doesn’t matter. Neither of you love me.”

“I do!” Lauren interjected, looking up to the blonde worriedly.

Dinah smiled, and lifted the girl out of the bed. “Well I am happy someone in this house still loves me,” she said, sticking her tongue out at the other two, Lauren copying the action. “Now come on, squirt, there are birthday pancakes in the kitchen and we’re the only two that get to eat them.”

“Excuse you, Dinah Jane, you didn’t even cook them,” Normani responded, giving the younger woman a glare.

Ally gasped. “No, Mama, I take it back! I love you, too!” she exclaimed, rolling off the bed and giving Dinah a pleading look.

The blonde looked at them for a moment, before turning to Lauren. “What do you think?” 

The green eyed girl looked at the other two, before nodding. “Dey can haf some,” she stated.

“Yes!” Ally squealed excitedly, running out of the room.

Normani just shook her amusedly. She walked over and pressed a kiss to Lauren’s cheek. “Happy birthday, baby.”

Lauren leaned over kissed the other woman’s cheek. “T’ank you, Mommy. ‘Ove ‘ots.”

The dark skinned woman smiled. “Love you lots, Lauren. Now come on,” she said, taking Dinah’s hand and leading them out of the room. “Let’s go make sure Ally doesn’t eat all of the pancakes so the birthday girl gets some, too.”

“Wif ‘tella?” Lauren asked, looking at the two hopefully.

Dinah nodded. “Yeah, you can them with nutella,” she promised.

“You two better not start a food fight with it,” Normani warned, glaring at the younger woman. “I won’t be the one cleaning it up if you do.”

\---------

Breakfast passed peacefully, neither Dinah not Lauren starting a war with the nutella, much to Normani’s pleasure. However, that didn’t stop Lauren from making a mess, her face and fingers coated with the chocolate spread.

“Sometimes I wonder if you get so messy on purpose,” the older woman stated as she picked up the plates from the table, handing Dinah a wet wash cloth.

Dinah took the cloth and gently started wiping off Lauren’s face and hands. “Just wait until later,” she said, thinking of how much of a mess the birthday cake they were going to have could cause.

As if reading her mind, the older woman groaned. “We’re eating the cake outside,” she muttered, placing the dishes in the dishwasher.

“We haf cake?” Lauren asked, looking at Dinah.

“Yeah, we have a special cake for your birthday,” the blonde answered.

The green eyed girl nodded. “Camz come here?” 

“Yeah, Mila will be here, and so will Nanas,” Dinah replied, smiling. “But not for a while yet. Let’s go get you dressed for the day.” She stood up and held a hand out for the girl.

Lauren shook her head. “Nuh uh, I do myself, I five,” she argued, holding up her hand with all the fingers up.

The blonde blinked, surprised. “Alright, well then,” she paused, not quite sure how to argue with that. 

Normani chuckled at the interaction. “Alright, go get dressed by yourself then,” she said to Lauren, who hurried out of the room. “But don’t run up the stairs.”

“‘Kay, Mommy,” Lauren replied as she disappeared.

“Give her a few minutes, then go check on her,” the older woman said. “She’ll probably pick out clothes that don’t match or put her shirt on backwards or something.”

“Mani, she’s changed so much since we first met her,” Dinah murmured quietly, still not having moved from her spot. “She is not the timid, quiet girl she was in the beginning.”

Normani sighed, wrapping her arms around the younger woman, leaning her head on her shoulder. “No, she isn’t,” she agreed. “But that’s a good thing. It means she feels safe and loved here.”

Dinah nodded, returning the embrace. “She will always be safe and loved with us, we’ll make sure of it.”

The older woman nodded, pulling back from the hug. “Go check on her, make sure she’s not having too much trouble. And find out what Ally’s doing, because it’s too quiet and that usually means trouble.”

The blonde laughed, nodding. She released Normani and walked out of the room, heading to the stairs. She had just made it to the top when heard Ally shout, “Now!” and was assaulted by a hail of darts. She looked up to see Ally and Lauren standing at the other end of the hall with dart guns. Soon enough the two had run out of ammo and were giggling as Dinah walked towards them. 

“I knew it was a bad idea to let you guys get those,” she said, mostly to herself. 

“It’s okay, Mama. We would have done it to Mommy is she had come upstairs,” Ally stated.

Dinah just shook her head, then frowned when noticed Lauren had her shirt on backwards and no pants, just her pull up (they were slowly working on getting her potty trained, but she still had accidents sometimes). “Lauren, baby, your shirt is on backwards,” she said amusedly, laughing at the girl’s pout. “And why are you just in a pull up?”

Lauren shrugged. “No find pants,” she answered.

The blonde hummed. “I see. Well let’s go get you dressed correctly, and then you guys can continues playing before everyone gets here.” She led Lauren into the girl’s bedroom, Ally following behind.

“We can go swimming today, right Mama?” the seven year old asked.

“Yep, but let’s wait until Camila gets here, alright?” 

Ally nodded, going over to sit on the younger girl’s bed.

Dinah helped Lauren out of her shirt, then helped her put it back on correctly. Lauren had picked out a white shirt with Dory and Nemo and the words ‘Sea You Later’ on it. The blonde walked over to the dresser, and after looking through it for a moment, pulled out a pair of navy blue shorts, and helped the girl into them. She also brushed the girl’s hair out, pulling it back into a braid.

“Alright, now, go play for a bit. Mommy and I will call you guys when everyone gets here.”

The two nodded, then ran out of the room. Dinah assumed they went to go plan more surprise attacks.

Hopefully Normani would be a victim to at least one.

\-------------

After everyone had arrived, Lauren, Ally, and Camila immediately asked to go swimming, and Dinah led them out to the pool once they were ready, she and Demi getting into the pool with the girls.

The three girls splashed around and squirted each other with water guns before Ally had the idea to spray Dinah and Demi.

“But we ‘ot Mama a’fore, member?” Lauren questioned confusedly, tilting her head slightly. She didn’t really want to get her Mama again after hitting her with the dart guns earlier in the morning.

“Hmmm, that’s true,” the older girl agreed. She took a second to look around, spotting Normani and Selena sitting in chairs near the pool talking. “Okay, let’s get Mommy and aunt Selena. Is that alright with you, Mila?”

Camila nodded excitedly, she didn’t care which of her Mommies she got to spray with water, she just wanted to get one of them. 

“Okay, let’s go,” Ally said, swimming over to the stairs of the pool.

The two younger girls followed, and once the three were ready, they pointed the water guns at Normani and Selena and opened fire.

The two adults gasped in surprise, and turned towards the pool, expecting to see Dinah and Demi with the water guns. They were stunned to see the three girls giggling and spraying them with water.

“Did you guys put them up to this?” Selena questioned, looking at the other two women.

“No, but I wish I had,” her wife replied, laughing unashamedly. 

“I kind of figured something would happen after Ally and Lauren shot me with darts this morning, I just expected them to get me again,” Dinah admitted with a shrug. 

Milika and Andrea walked out of the door, and the three girls turned to them, holding up their water guns.

“Anyone who dares to spray us won’t be getting cake,” Andrea warned.

Lauren and Camila immediately dropped their guns into the water, while Ally considered the threat. 

“Allyson.” Milika gave the girl a stern look, daring her to shoot them with water.

The seven year old pouted, but dropped her gun, too. 

Dinah and Demi joined the girls, motioning for them to get out of the water. Normani and Selena wrapped the three in towels as the other two adults grabbed their own. 

“So pizza and then cake?” the blonde asked, earning nods of agreement.

The group made their way to the patio table, where pizza and plates had been set. They helped the three girls get their plates of pizza (there was a slight argument over how much Camila could actually eat versus how much she wanted to eat) and cups of lemonade (because they were already getting cake and ice cream, they didn’t need more sugar or caffeine on top of that).

After that, Normani and Andrea brought out the cake, a chocolate and vanilla marble cake with buttercream frosting, colored and designed to look like the opening scene from The Lion King. Around a candle in the shape of the number ‘5’ were little figurines of Simba, Timon, Pumba, and, most importantly, Nala.

Dinah lit the candle, and after they had sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Lauren, the girl blew out the candle (she didn’t quite understand the need for that, but Ally said it was a very important part of the birthday tradition).

When the candle and figurines had been removed from the cake and it was sliced, Ally and Camila took their pieces and turned to shove them into Lauren’s face, eliciting a surprised yelp from the girl. Lauren stared at them in betrayal, before she wiped off frosting from her face and swiped the other girls’ faces in return.

Normani let out a tired sigh. “See this is why we were eating outside.”

Dinah just laughed, grabbing a few napkins to wipe off Lauren’s face as Normani and Selena did the same for Ally and Camila. “Alright, squirts, I suggest you guys not smush these pieces into each others face, or you won’t be getting anymore,” the blonde said as the girls were handed new plates, this time with a scoop of ice cream.

The rest of the afternoon passed without further incident. The adults had cleaned up before moving into the living room, where Lauren opened the gifts she had received.

“I no ‘et Mama ‘ift for birday,” the green eyed girl stated confusedly, remembering that she didn’t get Dinah anything. “Or Mommy.” She had missed Normani’s birthday apparently, and she was sad she didn’t get them anything.

“But you paid for the ice cream in the park on our birthday date, remember?” the blonde replied.

“And besides, you being here with us is enough of a gift, baby. You don’t need to get us anything,” Normani assured, pressing kiss to the girl’s temple.

Satisfied they weren’t upset she hadn’t gotten them a gift, Lauren started opening her presents. It was mostly just clothes and a few new stuffed animals, one of them being a Stitch plushie from Camila. She had also received some books, including a LeapStart Interactive Learning system with a bunch of activity books.

“Hopefully that’ll help her more with reading and writing,” Andrea explained to Normani and Dinah.

The two nodded in understanding. They had talked about it a few times before, but they were considering waiting on enrolling Lauren into kindergarten for another year, because it was obvious she had a lot of separation anxiety and because they weren’t sure how well she would do in such an environment yet, but no decisions had been made yet.

“Thanks, Mom,” Normani said appreciatively, sending the older woman a smile.

Milika had given her a few Playmobil sets, with animal enclosures and figures, including lions and elephants.

“I make zoo, ‘ike we wen’,” Lauren exclaimed, clapping happily. She stood up and hugged everyone, thanking them for their gifts.

Eventually, Andrea, Milika, Demi, and Selena had left, Camila staying to spend the night, the girls started playing with Lauren’s new Playmobil set, adding to their zoo by building larger fences with Duplos and using the stuffed animals from the playroom. The night continued, and the three had no problem eating leftover pizza from before for dinner, though this time there was no cake, so no big messes to clean up. 

Eventually the three wore themselves out, and after getting into pajamas and brushing their teeth, Normani and Dinah tucked them into bed, and Ally and Camila were asleep within seconds. Lauren was fighting sleep and was still awake. 

“Did you have a good birthday, Lo?” Normani asked as she handed the girl her new Stitch plushie.

The green eyed girl nodded, letting out a large yawn. “Bestest day,” she mumbled, trying to keep herself awake. 

“Lauren, sweets, go to sleep, you’re clearly tired,” Dinah ordered softly, running her hand through the girl’s hair. 

Lauren yawned once more, and nestled further under the blankets. “‘Ove ‘ots, Mommy an’ Mama,” she just barely managed to get out before she was asleep, too.

The adults smiled, checked to make sure each girl was tucked in, the quietly walked out, leaving the door open and making sure the baby monitor was on, just in case.

\----------------

“You ready, Lauren?” Normani asked as they made their way inside the courthouse.

It was the day they were signing the adoption papers and making Lauren an official member of their family, though she was already their daughter.

“Weady, Mama,” the green eyed girl replied, one hand taking the older woman’s hand, and clutching Nala tightly with the other.

“So Lauren is going to be a part of our family after this?” Ally asked as she held Dinah’s hand and followed them.

“She’s already a part of our family,” the blonde answered, smiling as she looked down at Ally. “This is just making it so no one can say she’s not.”

The older girl nodded, satisfied with the answer. “Hey, Mama, I don’t want a birthday party this year,” she stated, completely changing the topic.

“And why is that?” Dinah asked curiously.

Ally shrugged, looking away. “Because, I don’t want any presents. I got Lauren as a sister, and, and that’s enough for me.”

Dinah smiled, blinking back a few tears. “Alright, well we can talk to Mommy about this later, alright?” she asked as they entered the building, and the girl nodded.

They met Nick outside of Judge Cowell’s office, and he greeted them with a smile. “Ready?” he asked. 

Normani and Dinah nodded, and the older man knocked on the office door.

About thirty minutes later, after meeting with a court appointed attorney and lots and lots of paperwork had been signed, the courthouse clerk took the papers away to be filed. Judge Cowell stood up and shook hands with the three, handing the couple a folder.

“In here you will find the adoption certificate stating you are the legal parents of one Lauren Michelle Hansen-Hamilton, formerly Jauregui,” he stated proudly, smiling at the couple, “and an amended birth certificate, listing you two as the parents. Congratulations.”

Dinah took the outstretched hand, shaking it. “Thank you,” she replied coarsely trying to hold back tears of happiness.

“Thank you so much,” Normani said, also trying to keep tears from falling.

The older man just smiled and nodded, turning to look at Lauren. “Alright, you better be on your best behavior, because I don’t want to see you here for any reason,” he said, though his tone was light.

The green eyed girl nodded seriously. “I no be bad,” she promised. “You scare bad ‘uys?”

“I will scare all the bad guys,” Simon confirmed, laughing slightly.

The group exited the office, and Ally asked, “So, Lauren is now my sister? And nobody can say she isn’t?” 

Nick nodded, smiling. “Yep, anyone who says she isn’t your sister is wrong, and your Mommy and Mama have the proof.”

The older girl grinned, bouncing up and down in excitement. “This is the best day ever!”

The social worker laughed. “Alright, I’ll leave you guys to celebrate, I’ve got to get back to the office,” he said, looking to the couple.

Normani pulled him into a hug, Dinah doing the same afterwards. 

“Thank you for everything,” the older woman stated.

“Honestly, it was my pleasure. I’m just happy Lauren found the perfect home.”

They exchanged goodbyes, and then Nick left.

“We ‘o home now?” Lauren asked, attaching herself to Dinah’s leg.

The blonde lifted the girl up, settling her on her hip. “What do you two say we get takeout for lunch and go home and watch a bunch of movies, asa family?” she questioned, looking at her wife and eldest daughter (she really liked the way that sounded).

Ally nodded excitedly, and Normani smiled. “I think that sounds amazing,” the older woman agreed, taking Ally’s and Dinah’s hands. “You ready to go home, Lauren?”

The green eyed girl nodded, grinning. “We ‘o home.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	21. Bonus chapter 1

Normani and Dinah knew it would take a while before Lauren would come to them at night after a nightmare. Ally didn’t start doing it until about a month and a half after she came to live with them. It didn’t surprise them that Lauren wouldn’t come to them, even after promising it was okay to wake them up at night.

Instead, they would wake up to find Lauren curled up next to Ally in the mornings, Nala gripped tightly to her chest and Ally’s shirt in her fist. They were happy the tiny girl was comfortable going to Ally, but they wanted her to also be comfortable coming to them, too, but they knew not to push.

This night, however, Normani was awoken by the sound of the master bedroom door being pushed open, but she didn’t see either of the girls enter the room. And it wasn’t Dinah, because the younger woman was sleeping peacefully next to her. She waited a few minutes to see if either Ally or Lauren would come in, but neither girl appeared.

Curious, because she could see the door was opened, she got out of bed and walked out of the room. She had just made it to the threshold of the door when movement from her peripheral view caught her eye. She looked to see Lauren curled up against the side of the doorframe, holding Nala tightly. 

“What are you doing out here, little one?” she questioned, mostly to herself. She knelt down, gently sliding her arms under the girl, lifting Lauren up. 

The green eyed girl let out a small whimper and curled into Normani.

The older woman was conflicted. She wanted to take Lauren into her and Dinah’s room, but she didn’t want to make Lauren panic about waking up in their bed in the morning, either. Sighing, she walked into the girl’s bedroom, gently laying Lauren on the bed. She tucked the small girl into the blankets and pressed a kiss to her temple before walking out, making sure to leave the door open.

When she got back to her room, she crawled back under the blankets, immediately feeling Dinah wrap her arms around her torso.

“Where’d you go?” the younger woman asked drowsily.

“Lauren was outside our door, curled up against the wall,” Normani answered. “I put her back in her bed. I wanted to bring her in here, but I also didn’t want to scare her or make her uncomfortable in the morning.”

“She’ll come to us when she’s ready,” Dinah promised, pulling her wife closer to her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was soon. She came to our room instead of Ally’s tonight.”

“I know,” the older woman sighed, leaning back against the taller woman. “We’ll just have to keep waiting.”

\---------

A few nights later a major thunderstorm was raging in the city. Loud, rumbling rolls of thunder sounded every minute or so, and rain pounded on the roof.

Normani could hear soft whimpers coming through the baby monitor they had set up for Lauren’s room. She was just about to get out of bed and walk down to the girl’s room when a booming crack of thunder sounded, rattling the windows. She heard Lauren let out a small cry, and then a few seconds later she heard the pattering of tiny footsteps running down the hall.

The bedroom door was pushed open, and soon a tiny figure was standing beside her.

“Lauren?” the older woman called softly. She turned on the lamp beside her bed and saw green eyes fearfully looking at her.

“I s’areded, Mani,” Lauren whispered frantically. Another roll of thunder boomed, and she whimpered, bringing Nala up to hide her face in the stuffed lion.

“It’s alright, Lauren,” Normani assured, sitting up. “The thunder isn’t going to hurt you.”

“It ‘oud, I no ‘ike.”

“I know, little one. It is pretty loud,” the dark skinned woman agreed. She reached out for the smaller girl, asking softly, “Do you want to stay here with DJ and I?” 

Lauren looked between the two adults and the door, unsure of what to do.

Normani hummed in thought. “Does Nala want to stay here?” she questioned. “I bet she’s really scared too, huh?” 

Lauren nodded, but still looked uncertain of what to do.

“Does she want to stay with us? DJ and I really good at protecting scared cubs. And you could stay with her, too.”

The girl looked one last time out the door, before turning back to Normani. She held her arms out, quietly requesting, “We s’ay wif ‘ou?”

The older woman smiled softly, nodding. “Of course you can.” She reached out and carefully lifted Lauren up onto the bed, settling her in between herself and Dinah. “You can always come to us when you’re scared, Lauren. That’s why we leave our door open. But I’m sure Ally doesn’t mind you sneaking into her bed, either. She’s a very big cuddler.”

The four year old nodded, climbing underneath the covers. Once she was under the blankets, she hesitantly leaned into Normani, curling up completely when the older woman wrapped an arm around her. 

Dinah turned around, squinting at the sudden light. “Oh, we have a visitor,” she murmured when she saw Lauren next to her.

“An’ ‘ala,” the girl said, holding the lion out for the blonde to see.

“So two visitors. What are you two doing here?” the younger woman asked.

“‘Ala no ‘ike ‘oud ‘oises.”

Dinah hummed in understanding, looking up to her wife who nodded. “Well, we can’t have a scared little cub now, can we?”

Lauren shook her head, ducking underneath the cover as more thunder rumbled. 

“Hmm, I think there’s two little cubs who might be scared, huh?” the blonde asked gently, leaning up on one arm. 

The girl shyly peeked out from underneath the blanket, nodding reluctantly.

Dinah smiled softly. “That’s okay. Mani and I are very good protectors, and we can keep you cubs safe,” she promised. “Now, do you think you can go back to sleep?”

Lauren nodded, curling up against Normani once again. A few minutes passed, but eventually she was sound asleep once more, soft snores escaping her.

Normani leaned over to turn off the light, then returned to her position, keeping Lauren close to her. Dinah turned to face the two, draping an arm around the two.

“I told you she’d come to us on her own,” the younger woman stated, and her wife could tell she was smirking.

“Yes, I know, you were right,” the older woman grumbled. “I’m just surprised Ally isn’t here yet. She doesn’t like thunderstorms much, either.”

“I’m sure she’ll sneak in eventually,” Dinah murmured, shrugging. “We’ll wake up to three cubs in our bed, just watch.”

Normani hummed in agreement, and the two drifted back to sleep soon after.

(When Normani awoke a few hours later, she wasn’t surprised to see Ally had indeed slipped into their bed and was cuddling with Dinah.)

  
  
  



	22. Bonus chapter 2

It was a relatively normal night in the house. Camila had been over that day, and the girls spent the late morning in the pool, and then the rest of the afternoon after lunch alternating between watching a movie and playing in the playroom. Camila left shortly after dinner, which saddened both Ally and Lauren, but she was coming over again later that week, and the two girls were cheerful once again.

Now though, it was getting close to when Normani and Dinah would tell her it was bedtime, and Lauren wasn’t feeling too well. There was a dull pain in her stomach, and she felt a little nauseous, and she hadn’t eaten much at dinner. She had changed into her pajamas, grabbed her Nala, and walked down to the living room, where she found Dinah lying on the couch, though Normani wasn’t in sight. There were some sounds coming from the kitchen, and the girl figured her Mommy was in there.

“Mama?” Lauren called softly, crawling on top of the blonde.

“Hey baby, you feeling alright?” Dinah asked concernedly, gently pressing a hand to the five year old’s forehead, finding it was warmer than normal.

Lauren shook her head, nuzzling into the woman’s chest. “No feel good, Mama. Tummy hurt.”

“Do you feel like you might throw up?” Dinah questioned, earning a small nod. “Hmm, okay. Why don’t you stay with Mommy and I tonight? That way we can know if you do get sick during the night.”

“Who’s sick?” Normani asked as she entered from the kitchen.

“Our little lion here is not feeling too well this evening,” Dinah answered. “She says her tummy hurts and she feels a little warm.”

Normani nodded, smiling sympathetically at the smaller girl. “Come on, let’s go get settled in bed. Hopefully you’ll feel better by tomorrow. It could just be that you ate too much earlier when Camila was here, and you were outside all day.”

Dinah sat up, adjusting Lauren in her grasp carefully. They walked up stairs, and settled Lauren in between them in bed, hoping everything would be fine in the morning.

\-----------

Normani woke up to whimpers and what felt like a small furnace pressed up against her. She turned on the bedside lamp to see Lauren with her face contorted in pain, and sweat covering her forehead.

“Shit,” the woman mumbled, throwing the blankets off herself and Lauren, getting out of bed. “Dinah, wake up,” she ordered, shaking her wife.

Dinah groaned, looking up blearily. “Mani, what the hell?” 

“It’s Lauren,” the older woman brushed off the question. “She’s way too hot.”

Lauren whimpered again, opening her eyes and looking over to Normani. “Mommy, it hurt.” 

“Where, baby?” Dinah asked, sitting up concernedly.

Lauren placed her hand over the right side of her stomach.

“Fuck,” the blonde muttered. She got off the bed, quickly walking to bathroom, returning a few moments later with a thermometer. She place the end of near Lauren’s temple, and waited for it to beep. She winced when she looked at the display. “102,” she said, looking at her wife worriedly.

Normani bit her lip in thought. “With the stomach pains and that high of a fever? I think we should take her in,” she stated. “She had a pretty high fever the last time, too.”

Dinah nodded, and quickly changed into jeans and a tshirt. She scooped Lauren up gently, the girl crying out in pain. “I’m sorry baby,” she whispered. “We’re going to get you to the doctors and they’ll make you feel better.”

“I’ll get Ally, you get down to the car,” Normani said, getting dressed.

With a nod, the blonde grabbed her keys, wallet, and phone from the bedside table, and quickly made her way to the garage, opening the garage door before opening the back door of the car. 

A few moments later, as she was getting Lauren into the carseat, Normani appeared with a sleepy looking Ally in her arms. “Give me the keys, stay back there with the girls.”

Dinah nodded, handing over the keys and getting Ally into her booster seat.

“Mama?” the smaller blonde questioned, a confused frown on her face.

“Sorry, sweets, but Lauren’s really sick,” she explained as Normani pulled out. “Mommy and I decided to take her to the doctors.”

“We left Nala,” Ally stated. “Lauren doesn’t like the doctors, and Nala would make her feel better.”

“I know, baby. But it’s really important we get Lauren to the doctors as soon as possible,” the older blonde replied, smiling slightly at the girl’s thoughtfulness. “Once we find out what’s going on with Lo, we can go back and get Nala for her, alright?”

Ally nodded, then frowned when Lauren whimpered in pain again. “Is Lauren going to be okay?” she asked panickedly.

Dinah nodded fervently. “She will, we just have to let the doctors find out what’s going on with her.”

The smaller blonde nodded, but didn’t look entirely convinced. 

It was another ten minutes before Normani pulled into the parking lot of the emergency room. Dinah hopped out of the car, carefully lifting Lauren out of her carseat before rushing through the entrance, eyes scanning around for help. She was almost to the front desk when Selena and another doctor appeared.

“Selena, I need help!” the blonde called out worriedly.

The two doctors rushed over as Selena asked, “What’s wrong?”

“She has a really high fever, and she was complaining of pain in her stomach,” Dinah responded, following as the two doctors led her to an exam room. “She said her stomach hurt and she was a little warm before we went to bed, but we figured it was just because she spent a lot of time outside today and she ate a lot of snacks while Mila was over,” she explained. “After the last time she was sick with a high fever, we didn’t want to risk it and brought her in.”

The dark haired doctor nodded, as the other one gently took Lauren from Dinah, setting her on the bed. “Okay, Robbins, get an ultrasound ready,” Selena stated, the other doctor nodding and leaving the room.

Lauren whimpered, reaching out for Dinah. “Mama, no, no,” she cried.

Dinah stood at the foot of the bed, taking the girl’s hand. “Shh, baby, Selena and the other doctors are going to help you feel better.”

Robbins returned with an ultrasound machine and two nurses following. “Alright, Dr. Gomez, let’s get this setup and see what’s going on,” she said, helping the nurses ready the machine.

“Lauren, sweetie, we’re going to take a look and see what’s making your tummy hurt,” the dark haired attending explained. “We have to put this gel on you, and it’s going to be cold.”

“Mama stay with?” the five year old asked, looking up fearfully.

“Yeah, your Mama can stay with you,” the blonde doctor assured. 

Selena lifted Lauren’s shirt up and applied the gel, causing the girl to whine at the coldness. “I know, Lo, but we need to see what’s making you sick,” she said apologetically. 

Dr. Robbins turned the machine on, setting the ultrasound wand on Lauren’s stomach. After a minute, she frowned. “Look at this,” she said to the other doctor.

Selena moved to look at the screen, sighing after a moment. “I assumed that’s what it was. Shit.”

“What is it?” Dinah asked worriedly, running a had through her daughter’s hair, trying to keep her calm.

“Her appendix is slightly inflamed,” Dr. Robbins explained. “It’s a good thing you brought her in.”

“It’s appendicitis,” Selena clarified. “While it’s more common between the ages of 10 and 30, it’s not unusual for someone as young as her to have it. And we’re lucky we caught it early. If it had burst, there would be a lot more issues.”

“So how do you treat her?” the mother questioned, looking between the two doctors.

“We’ll give her antibiotics to clear out any infection, which should help with the fever,” Selena replied. “But then we’ll have to do surgery to remove her appendix. Unfortunately, once there’s inflammation, there’s nothing else we can do.”

The blonde woman sighed, nodding. “Well that sucks.”

“But it’s a good thing you did bring her in,” Selena responded. “If you had waited, it could have been worse. At least this way we can get it treated without complications.”

Selena and the other doctor left to admit Lauren and get everything ready. Soon after, the nurses, with help from Dinah, got Lauren changed into a child’s gown and inserted an IV into her arm, which upset the five year old.

“No, Lauren, baby, it has to stay in,” Dinah said, gently taking the girl’s hand when she went to tug on the tube. “I know you don’t like it, but it’s going to give you the medicine you need to get better. Remember when you were sick the first time with us?”

“Took yucky medicine,” the green eyed girl replied, nodding. “Not like it.”

The blonde smiled softly. “I’m not sure anyone likes it,” she agreed. “But, this,” she motioned to the IV, “gets the medicine inside you and you don’t have to taste it.”

Lauren seemed to be satisfied with that explanation, but then frowned soon after. “Where Mommy and Ally?”

“Probably out in the waiting room,” Dinah answered, though she doubted her daughter would know what that would mean. “I bet Selena will tell them where we are and they’ll be here soon.”

Only a few minutes later, Normani entered the exam room, Ally running over to where Dinah was standing.

“I don’t have Nala right now, but Mama said we can go back home and get her later,” the eight year old explained, looking apologetic.

Dinah picked the older girl up, gently setting her on the bed next to Lauren. “That’s right. We’ll run home and get Nala and your blanket, Lo,” she promised.

“Selena explained what’s happening,” the older woman stated as she walked over to stand next to Dinah, pressing a kiss to Lauren’s forehead before taking her wife’s hand. “She also said it’s a routine procedure, so there shouldn’t be any complications.

Dinah nodded, releasing a slow breath. “I know, it’s just the thought of her having to have surgery,” she murmured. “She’s five, and she’s small, and it’s just kind of scary to think about.”

Normani nodded, squeezing the younger woman’s hand tightly. “She’ll be fine,” she assured. “They’re just waiting on the antibiotics to clear out any infection and for her fever to go down, and then Dr. Robbins will do the procedure.”

Selena and Dr. Robbins entered the room, a nurse and an orderly following behind.

“Okay, we’re going to give her some anesthetics through her IV,” the dark haired doctor explained. “Then move her to the operating room, where Dr. Robbins and her team will perform the procedure.”

“It’s a routine procedure, I’ve done hundreds of them,” the blonde doctor stated. 

“Mama?” Lauren called out, looking fearful. There was so much going on and she didn’t know what was happening.

Dinah moved to sit on the side of the bed and carefully wrapped an arm around her daughter. “Hey, baby, it’ll be alright,” she murmured softly, pressing a kiss to the girl’s temple. “You know how you’re tummy hurts?”

Lauren nodded. “Hurt bad, Mama.”

“I know, and that’s why we’re here. There’s something in you that’s causing your tummy to hurt, and Dr. Robbins is going to go and take it out.”

The green eyed girl shook her head and turned to hide in the blonde’s abdomen, tears falling down her face. 

“Sweetheart, it’ll be okay,” Normani spoke up. “You’ll be asleep while it happens, and Mama, Ally, and I will be here when you wake up. It’ll be alright.”

“And you’ll get to eat a lot of ice cream,” Dr. Robbins interjected.

Green eyes hesitantly peeked out at the statement. “Really?”

The blonde doctor chuckled, nodding. “Well, not  _ too _ much, because we don’t want you getting another tummy ache.”

“And, and not hurt?” Lauren questioned, still reluctant.

“Nope, you won’t feel a thing,” Selena promised. 

Lauren gripped Dinah’s shirt tightly. “It hurt, Mama.”

The blonde rubbed the girl’s back soothingly, sighing sadly. “I know baby, and that’s why they need to take out what’s making your tummy hurt. Once they do, it won’t hurt anymore.”

Lauren finally nodded, wanting the pain to go away. Selena nodded to one of the nurses, who quickly inserted a syringe into the IV.

“Alright Lo, in a few moments you’re going to feel really sleepy,” the dark haired doctor explained, and she could see the effects of the anesthetic happening. 

“We’ll be right here with you, Lo,” Normani promised, leaning over to kiss the girl’s head.

“And I’ll have Nala for when you’re awake!” Ally promised.

The five year old tried to keep her eyes opened, but eventually they drooped close, and within moments she was breathing deeply and slowly, completely out.

Dinah lifted Ally off of the bed and gently set her on the floor, allowing Dr. Robbins, the nurse, and the orderly to take Lauren to the prep room. “Come on Allycat, let’s go home and get Nala and maybe you can go back to sleep for a little bit.” She faced Selena, who was still in the room with them. “It’ll take a while I’m assuming?”

“Appendectomies are pretty routine, and Dr. Robbins is one of the best, but I’d say you have up to two hours of waiting,” Selena answered. “Plus there’s the time it takes for Lauren to come out of the anesthetic. I need to go make my rounds, but I’ll be by later to check on things,” she said before she gave the group a reassuring smile then made her way out of the room.

Dinah then turned to her wife. “Do you want to wait here and I’ll run home with Ally and grab some stuff? Or do you want to go and I’ll wait here?”

Normani shook her head. “You and Ally go, I’ll wait here,” she replied, pulling the younger woman into an embrace. “Maybe make a coffee run while you’re gone?”

The blonde smiled and nodded. “You got it.” She held a hand out for the eight year old. “Come on, love. We’ll go get Nala and Lauren’s blanket, and then coffee for Mommy and I.”

“Can I get get hot chocolate?” the smaller girl asked.

“We’ll see if you’re still awake to get some,” Dinah replied with a small laugh. 

The couple shared one more hug before the younger woman led Ally out of the room and Normani moved to the waiting room.

“Mama?” Ally asked, looking up at the taller blonde.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Lauren’s going to be okay, right?” the girl asked concernedly, fear evident in her tone. “Because, they have to cut a pen from her tummy?”

Dinah chuckled, shaking her head. “Not quite, sweetheart Appendix,” she stressed the last word.

“Appendix,” Ally repeated.

“They have to take Lauren’s appendix out,” the taller woman explained. “It’s kind of angry, and the only way to make it stop hurting Lauren is if they take it out.”

“And she’ll be okay after that?”

Dinah nodded fervently. “Yeah, she’ll be perfectly fine afterwards. You might have to be gentle with her for a couple of weeks because she needs to heal, but she’ll be fine.”

The eight year old nodded, satisfied her sister would be okay. “Let’s go get Nala now. Lauren might be scared and Nala always makes her feel better. And her blanket.”

“You got it, little lady,” Dinah agreed, smiling widely.

\----------

When Lauren was finally able to open her eyes, they were heavy and it seemed to take a lot of energy for her to keep them open. It also felt like there was a weight keeping her limbs from moving, but slowly that feeling dissipated. She looked around the room, the memory of being in the hospital coming back to her as she did so. 

She spied her Mama asleep in a chair on one side of the hospital bed, Ally curled up in her lap, also fast asleep. She turned to the other side to see her Mommy in another chair, the older woman’s head resting on her arms that were set on the edge of the bed.

Lauren tried to speak, but all that came out was a slight whine from how dry her mouth and throat were.

Normani looked up, her eyes widening in surprise seeing bright green ones staring back at her. “Hey, sweetheart,” she greeted softly, leaning over and pressing a kiss to the girl’s temple. She then reached over to the table where a pitcher of water and a glass were, and poured a cup for the girl. “Are you feeling better now, Lo?” she asked as she sat on the edge of the bed and helped her daughter take a sip of water.

Lauren shook her head. There was a dull soreness, but the sharp, stabbing pain in her belly was gone. 

The dark skinned woman nodded, then reached over and pressed the call button that was on the side of the girl’s bed. “Mama and Ally went home and grabbed your blanket and Nala like they promised,” she stated, reaching to the end of the bed where the promised items were.

Lauren reached for the stuffed lion, kissing it’s nose before reaching for Normani’s hand. “Thank you, Mommy.”

A knock on the door sounded, and then Dr. Robbins and Selena entered the room.

The dark haired doctor looked to where Dinah and Ally were still sleeping in the other chair. “So you want to wake them up?” she asked, looking at Normani.

The younger woman shook her head. “I’ll let them sleep, it’ll be fine.”

The doctors nodded, then the blonde one turned to Lauren and asked, “Do you feel any pain like you did earlier, Lauren?”

The green eyed girl shook her head. “Not hurt anymore. And, and I gots Nala.” She held the lion up.

“Oh, that’s so cool,” Dr. Robbins replied, grinning widely. “I heard Nala is a very good protector.”

“Uh huh, Nala the bestest,” Lauren agreed.

“I’m very happy to hear that. It sounds like she might deserve some ice cream later, too,” the blonde stated, chuckling when the five year old nodded excitedly. She turned to Normani, still smiling. “Everything went well with the operation. No complications at all. It’ll be a few hours yet before she can get up and walk around, but by tonight she should be able to. We’ll release her either tomorrow or the day after.”

“Why that long of a wait if there were no complications?” the dark skinned woman questioned.

“It’s just a precaution,” Selena answered. “To make sure there aren’t any side effects from the surgery or anesthetic later on, and to make sure the infection is cleared out entirely.”

A pager went off, and Dr. Robbins checked hers, frowning after a moment. “I’m being requested for a consult. Everything went well, and I’ll be by later to check up on Lauren,” she told the mother. “If you have any other questions, Dr. Gomez could answer them or I will when I come around again.” She turned to Lauren, smiling. “I have to leave, but you and Nala better not go off getting into trouble if you want that ice cream later.”

Lauren shook her head. “No trouble,” she agreed.

The blonde doctor gave the girl a thumbs up, then made her way out of the room.

“Do you have any other questions?” Selena asked, turning to the younger woman. 

“Not right now,” Normani answered. “She’s fine now though, right?”

The dark haired doctor nodded. “It’ll be a few weeks before she’s back to running around and completely healed, but it shouldn’t be more than a month,” she explained. “And she’ll have a small scar from where the incision was made, but it should fade with time.”

“And there was no way of knowing how it happened?”

Selena shook her head. “Not really, no. But like we said earlier, it’s a common thing, though it usually happens between ages ten and thirty.”

“I okay?” Lauren asked, looking between the two adults.

“Yep, you’re going to be perfectly fine,” the doctor confirmed. “It’ll be a few weeks before you’re running around causing trouble with Ally and Mila, but you’re not sick and you’re tummy won’t be hurting as bad anymore.”

“No playing with Camz?” the green eyed girl questioned, frowning.

“Not for a few weeks,” Selena replied. “You’ve got a small cut on your belly, and we don’t want it getting reopened. So you’ll have to wait a few weeks to play with Mila.”

Lauren pouted, letting out a small whine. 

“I’m sure she can come over for a sleepover and we can watch movies though,” Normani suggested, looking to the older woman for agreement.

“I’m sure Mila would love that,” Selena affirmed. “I need to go check on some other patients. If you need anything or have other questions, just hit the call button.”

Normani nodded, and the older woman left. The dark skinned woman gently took a seat on the edge of the bed, carefully lying down next to her daughter. She watched as Lauren let out a small yawn before asking, “Tired, sweets?”

The five year old shook her head, but another yawn escaped her. “Not sleepy, Mommy,” she said. However, the fact that she leaned into the older woman and her eyes drooped closed before snapping open again didn’t have Normani convinced.

“Sleep, baby,” Normani urged softly, cautiously wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. “Mama and Ally are still sleeping, and I definitely could use some more sleep.”

“Mama like lions and sleeps lots,” Lauren replied.

Dinah groaned, blinking a few times before lightheartedly glaring at the five year old. “I just like to sleep, okay? It’s not my fault it’s better than adult responsibilities,” she grumbled.

Normani rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Well, Ally’s still asleep,” she amended. “Go to sleep, Lo. Mama and I will still be here when you wake up.”

Lauren whined, but shifted so she was lying half on top of the older woman. Within a few moments, she was asleep, holding Nala with one hand and the other clutching her blanket tightly (it was a bit too small now that she had grown some, but she still liked having it when she slept).

“I really hope this doesn’t happen with Ally,” Dinah murmured, more to herself than to her wife. “Once is more than enough to have to deal with something like this.”

“But we got through it,” Normani pointed out. 

“I would prefer not to have to do it again,” the younger woman countered. “But yes, we got through it.”

“They’ll release Lauren tomorrow or the day after, but she’s going to be fine. Although it could be up to a month before she’s able to be completely active again. So get ready for a lot of movie marathons to keep her occupied.”

Dinah groaned, tilting her head back dramatically. “A bored five year old sounds like hell.”

Normani smirked. “I’m going to let that pass since you’re about ten bucks in debt to our daughter.”

“Don’t remind me. I can’t believe I owe money to a  _ five year old _ .”

  
  
  
  
  
  



	23. Holiday special: Chasing Santa

“We gotta be quiet, Lo,” Ally said as they snuck into the hallway from the younger girl’s room. “We can’t wake up Mama and Mommy, or we won’t be able to catch Santa.”

Lauren nodded, her Nala held tightly in her grip as she followed the older girl. “Santa bring presents?”

Ally nodded, grinning excitedly. “Yeah. You know the cookies and milk we left out?” she questioned, earning a nod from her younger sister. “They’re for him. We didn’t have any carrots this year, but last year Mommy let me leave some out for the reindeer. And he comes and eats the cookies and then leaves presents. That’s why we wrote letters.”

The younger girl nodded, appeased with the explanation. 

They were halfway down the stairs when Ally reminded, “Okay, just remember, don’t be loud, or Mama and Mommy will find us.”

“Too late, babes,” Dinah said from the top of the stairs. 

The two girls startled, and turned to look at the woman.

“Hi, Mama,” Lauren giggled as the taller blonde picked her up. “We try and catch Santa.”

“I see that,” Dinah replied, holding a hand out for Ally, who took it and sulked. “But, it’s way too early for you girls to be up. Come on, let’s get you two back to bed.”

The smaller girl pouted and trudged behind. “We just want to catch him, Mama.”

“But if you don’t go to sleep, he might not come. And so there wouldn’t be any presents.”

Ally huffed and crossed her arms as they entered Lauren’s room. “Fine.”

Dinah just laughed as she set Lauren on her bed and tucked her back in. “Night, baby,” she said as she kissed the girl’s forehead.

“Night, Mama,” Lauren responded and place a sloppy kiss on the woman’s cheek.

The woman smiled and turned to her older daughter. “Come along, troublemaker,” she said, leading the smaller girl out of the room.

They walked into Ally’s room, and the girl scampered up onto the bed, burrowing under the blankets with a pout. 

“Ally, you don’t need to be up at midnight. It’s not good for you when you’re little,” Dinah explained.

“I’m not little, Mama. I’m eight.”

The older woman chuckled and shook her head. “You’re still little, babe. And if you don’t get enough sleep, then you’ll be tired and grumpy. Then you won’t have any fun tomorrow opening your presents.”

Ally sighed, and crawled out from the blankets to give the woman a hug. 

Dinah returned the embrace, pressing a kiss to the girl’s temple, too. “Alright, come on. Let’s get you back to bed.” 

Ally nodded and climbed back under the blankets. “Night, Mama.”

“Night, baby. No more late night adventuring for you, okay?”

“Okay, Mama.”

\--------------------

“Come on, Mani, let’s get the presents under the tree before Ally and Lauren try and sneak down again,” Dinah said as she entered the master bedroom, where her wife was waiting for her to return. “I give it thirty minutes before Ally is trying again.”

The two women silently made their way downstairs and to the downstairs coat closet. Dinah pulled back the coats and revealed a pile of wrapped presents, each marked with either Ally or Lauren’s name.

They each grabbed an armful and took over to the tree, setting them underneath, and went back until each girl had five presents under the tree, then walked to kitchen.

“Hopefully the girls don’t realize none of these are marked for us,” Normani stated as they sat at the table and ate the two cookies left out.

“Well, I know my present for you is not child appropriate, so I’m not giving it to you in the morning.”

“Am I going to be getting it at all?”

“When the girls go to your moms for New Years, yes.”

Normani rolled her eyes. “You are terrible, you know that?”

“I don’t think you’ll be saying that when we use your gift.”

The older woman slapped her wife’s shoulder before putting the plate in the dishwasher. “It’s at least somewhere the girls won’t find it, right?”

“Yeah, it’s on the shelf in our closet. They won’t be able to reach it.”

Normani nodded. “Come on, let’s get back before the girls find us.”

The two made their way back to the master bedroom. As they were getting settled back into bed, the baby monitor they had left in Lauren’s room crackled, and they heard Ally say, “Lauren, wake up. Come on. We gotta catch Santa.”

Dinah shook her head amusedly. “This child. It’s your turn to get her.”

Normani rolled her eyes, but got up anyways. She caught the girls before they were even to the stairs.

“Didn’t Mama already catch you once tonight?”

The two froze, and Ally turned around with a sheepish look. “Yes, Mommy.”

“Then why are you out of bed again?”

“Ally want catch Santa, Mommy,” Lauren supplied helpfully as she ran to the woman.

The older girl turned to her sister with a look of utter betrayal. “Traitor!”

Normani just laughed and picked the younger girl up. “Come here, babe.” She held a hand out to her older daughter, and led the two downstairs. “Look, Santa already came.” She motioned to where the presents had been left under the tree.

“Awww, we missed him!” Ally exclaimed, her shoulders falling in disappointment. 

“But he left a bunch of gifts,” Normani pointed out. “That wouldn’t have happened if you were up trying to catch him.”

The older girl pouted before a giant yawn escaped her. “Can we open them now, Mommy?”

The dark skinned woman laughed and shook her head as she led them back upstairs. “No, baby. Not right now. You can in the morning, after you’ve slept.”

Ally nodded sullenly, but followed. 

Instead of putting them each in their own beds, Normani to guided them into the master bedroom. 

“I thought I said no more late night adventuring, Allyson,” Dinah scolded as the older girl climbed onto the bed. 

“I just wanted to catch Santa,” the eight year old mumbled, snuggling into the taller woman.

“Well, it looks like you’ve just kept Lauren up,” Dinah said, and pointed to where Lauren was half asleep in Normani’s arms. “And I know if you don’t go to so sleep now, you’ll be extremely grumpy in the morning.”

Ally sighed and crawled under the covers before attaching herself back to the blonde’s side. “But I don’t want to sleep, Mama.”

“If you don’t, you won’t get to open the presents Santa left,” Normani countered as she got settled into bed after laying Lauren down. The youngest immediately turned and nuzzled into the older woman, letting out a soft sigh of content before drifting off completely. “Come on, Ally, it’s time to sleep.”

Ally nodded and finally settled down on top of Dinah. “Night Mama. Night Mommy.”

“Night, baby,” the older woman replied, running a hand through the girl’s hair gently. 

Dinah smiled softly before warning, “Don’t even think about trying to sneak out of bed this time, baby.”

That earned a small whine from the eight year old before she finally succumbed to sleep for the night.

The couple lied awake a bit longer, enjoying the feeling of their girls snuggled between them, sleeping peacefully. They fell asleep preparing themselves for the storm of activity that would follow in the morning.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you enjoyed! :)


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